


Middle School

by Hey_You



Series: Star-Crossed Lovers [2]
Category: Hunger Games (2012), Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-08-18
Updated: 2017-03-26
Packaged: 2017-12-23 22:22:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 25
Words: 58,157
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/931741
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hey_You/pseuds/Hey_You
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A continuation of the Star-Crossed Lovers series. Picks up during their middle school years and follows them through the ups and downs of their lives.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Bleeping Surprise

**Author's Note:**

> Here it is! The continuation of Kindergarten. I moved forward to their middle school years, but plan to make another installment covering elementary. Hope you enjoy!

The screen door creaking was the first indication that Peeta had arrived, followed closely by the slight thud of the front door as he shut it behind him. Ever since the Mellark's moved to a better neighborhood (ironically just blocks from the Everdeen's), Peeta had been a regular visitor for breakfast before school.  
  
No. Not visitor, Blake Everdeen thought to himself. Peeta was one of the family. "Good morning, Peeta."  
  
"Morning, Pop. Morning, Mom," Peeta greeted as he entered the kitchen. Somewhere during the summer before third grade, Peeta had switched from their first names to the more familiar "Pop" and "Mom."  
  
"Good morning, Peeta. You're looking handsome this morning," Jen answered. Peeta dipped his chin slightly as a faint blush tinged his cheeks. Blake looked at the boy who had doubled his age since they first met. Taller now, and slimmed down, the boy was already foreshadowing the muscles he would have in the future. His blonde hair was cropped short, but not too short and the curls were still evident in the gentle waves.  
  
"Thanks, Mom," he said politely, and reached for the pancakes that were accumulating alongside the stove. "Kit up yet?"  
  
"Yes, she's just finishing up Prim's hair upstairs. Should be down in a minute." Peeta nodded as he continued placing food on the table.  
  
"How was practice yesterday?" Blake inquired.  
  
"Good. Well, actually, Coach Abernathy sorted out the team roster. Just one more open tryout this afternoon."  
  
"Oh yeah? Let me guess. Running back?" Peeta was very quick and running back might be just the right fit for him.  
  
"Nope," Peeta grinned, "quarterback."  
  
"Really? How about that?" The pride was evident in Blake's voice, as he got up from the table to study the team's schedule that hung on the refrigerator. Football was only recently added to the fifth grade activities and when Blake found out that Peeta was trying out, he couldn't have been more excited.  
  
Katniss had wanted to play too, but the coach wouldn't bend the rules for her and she was planning her own form of protest. Blake suspected that she was going to crash the newly formed cheering squad. The Everdeens supported her no matter what, and Blake was certain that if she wanted to play football, she would have been good at it.  
  
"Hey, Peety," Katniss greeted as she rounded the corner into the kitchen. Blake noticed the smile they shared and for the millionth time wondered if he was entertaining his future son-in-law. She could do worse. No. Actually, she couldn't do any better than Peeta.  
  
"Good morning, Kit." Prim was right on her heels. "Good morning, Primmy," he greeted, causing the six-year-old to blush fifty shades of red, and smile bashfully. It was safe to say that Peeta was the object of Prim's first crush.  
  
"Did you get what I asked for?" Katniss questioned, and Peeta nodded as he took his place at the table and offered the pancakes to the girls before taking one himself.  
  
"What did you ask for?" Prim questioned.  
  
"Nothing," Katniss said quickly, averting her eyes from her father's questioning stare, "just some stuff I need."  
  
Before her father could ask any questions, Peeta deftly steered the conversation in another direction. "Mother said I need to help out in the bakery in the mornings, so I probably won't be over for breakfast much this year. All three female faces fell as they processed the announcement. "But Dad said he would drop me by in the mornings so we can all still walk to school together."  
  
Katniss gave him a resigned nod. Through the years, she had encountered Mrs. Mellark only a handful of times, and each time left a worse impression than the previous. She's automatically suspicious of the older woman who seemed intent on making Peeta's life miserable.  
  
Peeta noted the change in her disposition. "I like working in the bakery," he said a bit defensively, as Katniss gave him a sidewise glance. "Besides, if I work at the bakery, I can bring treats for our lunch." In spite of herself, Katniss flashed him a grin. The treats were one of the perks of having a baker's son as her best friend.  
  
They quickly finished breakfast, and Katniss and Peeta brought their dishes to the sink. "I'm going to stay after and watch practice tonight," Katniss called as they headed for the door.  
  
"Okay, I'll pick you up, Prim. Have a nice day!"  
  
The kids said goodbye in chorus just before the door slammed behind them.  
  
"I wonder what Jo did this summer," Katniss queried as they made their way down the tree-lined street. "I hope she had a good summer." Peeta nodded in agreement. Though his home life was tough, Jo's life was decidedly tougher in his opinion. Her parents divorced when she was in kindergarten and her mother remarried two years before. Jo was trapped in a house with an alcoholic step-father and a mean-spirited step-sister. But Jo was feisty and she didn't take anything lying down.  
  
"I can't wait to see Rue again," Prim announced. She and Rue were nearly as close Katniss and Peeta.  
  
"Is she in your class?" Peeta asked as they neared the main door to the elementary school.  
  
"Don't know," Prim said as she tossed her hair. They walked down the hall and found her classroom.  
  
"Have everything, Little Duck?" Katniss questioned.  
  
"Shhh, Katniss. Don't call me that!" Prim looked around quickly to make sure that no one overheard as Peeta grinned across at Katniss.  
  
"Sorry. Do you have everything, Primrose?" Katniss managed to affect a formal tone.  
  
"Yes," Prim said as she inhaled deeply. "See you tonight." With that, Prim entered her classroom without so much as a backward glance.  
  
Katniss and Peeta walked back toward the entrance. "I'm going to miss this school," Peeta said as they passed through the second grade section. Katniss nodded and wondered if their initials were still etched in the door of the gym equipment room.  
  
As they walked the three blocks to the middle school, they caught up with Darius. "Hey guys," he greeted, still one of the nicest kids and one of their closest friends.  
  
"Hey Darius, did you have a good summer?"  
  
"Eh, went to some lame camp for two weeks and went fishing with my dad. My brother got married cause he knocked up some girl." Darius had a tendency to ramble. Peeta's eyebrows shot up in alarm as he glanced at Katniss who just appeared amused. "How about you guys?"  
  
"We spent a lot of time at Katniss's parent's cabin. Fishing, swimming, water skiing," Peeta glanced toward her. She nodded in agreement.  
  
"Sounds like fun, but I saw you in the bakery too."  
  
"Yep. I'm helping out there now whenever I can. Dad's teaching me how to decorate cakes."  
  
They entered the intimidating large gray brick building and looked around. At the end of fourth grade, they had spent a morning touring the building. A few students wandered the halls, some sat in front of their lockers. "I think it's this way," Katniss said, displaying an uncanny natural ability to navigate under any circumstances.  
  
"You sure?" Darius whispered apparently too loudly as it seemed to echo in the hollow hallway.  
  
"Come on," Peeta said, putting great faith in her abilities.  
  
They started down the hall and soon found themselves in the middle of the fifth grade pod, surrounded by lockers. They consulted their letters that had arrived the week before and located their lockers. Katniss and Peeta were already aware that they did not share the same homeroom. While disappointed, it wasn't the first time they were separated. This time, Peeta would not cry.  
  
After they dropped off their backpacks, they headed to their homerooms to claim a desk before all the good seats were taken. Darius was in Katniss's homeroom and he took the desk next to her. She was grateful that he did because the last time she and Peeta were separated, she spent every day one foot from Storm Cato, her sworn enemy.  
  
Peeta was pleasantly surprised to find Jo in his homeroom and greeted her warmly. "Hey, baker boy," she rushed forward and looped an arm around his shoulders. "I was afraid there wouldn't be anyone I liked here," she said as she leveled her gaze at Dallas Marvel. Peeta took the desk to her left.  
  
For the most part, their day was routine. They sat with their homeroom during lunch but Peeta managed to drop off the daily treat for Katniss  — a brownie, just like they shared that first day of school all those years ago. Later, they played tag on the playground with their other friends.    
  
Midway through the afternoon, Peeta missed her. Really missed her. He remembered how long the days were in second grade when they barely saw each other during the day. But it was worse now, what with his practice schedule and working at the bakery. They would barely see each other during the week. He ran his hand through his hair and tugged roughly. His options were few but he knew they would have to figure it out.  
  
Katniss caught up with Peeta just as he was heading down to the locker room to prep for practice. She confirmed that she was missing him as well, and told him they would work it out. But in truth, Katniss wasn't sure just how they would work it out.  
  
Later, on the practice field, Peeta went through his warm-ups still intent on the problem of not seeing Katniss during the day. He went through each drill with surprising precision which drew the attention of Coach Abernathy.  
  
Ordinarily, Abernathy was the varsity coach, but his nephew had tried out for the fifth grade team and Abernathy decided he needed a change of pace. He altered the practice schedule for the varsity team slightly to accommodate his duties with the younger team. Today, he had his assistant coach Gary Boggs with him as they watched the youngsters work out.  
  
"Okay, listen up boys. Last day of open tryouts. Still some spots to fill on the roster," the coach called out. "We have Dexter Thresh, Cash Slicker, Johnny Chaff, Darius Johnson and Kale Edison. Okay now, when I call your name, I want you to call out the position you would like to try out for and we'll adjust the lineup to see how you do. Dexter, you're up."  
  
Dexter was a big boy, tall and solid. He stepped forward and the coaches exchanged a glance. "Don't really know what position, sir," he said quietly. Both coaches knew their offensive line was too lightweight to do any good.  
  
"Come here, son," in spite of his reputation as a drunk, Abernathy had a way with kids. He took a few moments to explain the position and show some basic moves before he inserted him in the line as offensive tackle. They ran some basic scrimmages, and Abernathy knew he had the right boy for the job.  
  
Twenty minutes later, Johnny had won a spot as right tackle. Darius was inserted as center. Cash joined the team as a safety and it was Kale's turn. Kale was a slight boy, compact and small and the shoulder pads looked big and out of place. Abernathy took one look and knew no matter what position the boy chose, he would spend the season riding the bench. "Kale," he barked.  
  
"Running back," the boy replied, jogging onto the field. Dallas smirked. That was his position and no one had unseated him yet but he supposed a backup to give him a breather might not be bad.  
  
"All right, son, let's go." Again the coach took a few minutes to explain the position and some basic plays. Kale lined up behind Peeta who seamlessly handed off the ball and Kale burst forward with surprising speed but was knocked flat by Storm who plugged the hole.  
  
"Let's try it again," Abernathy shouted. Peeta nodded. Each person got at least three plays to try their stuff.  
  
"You okay," Peeta asked Kale in the huddle, and he nodded. "This time go behind Dexter when you see a hole. Dexter you push your guy left. The rest of you push your guys right. Okay?" The team nodded. Cash, you need to be ready to block. Cash nodded. On sixteen. Break." They clapped their hands and took their positions.  
  
This time, when Peeta handed the ball off, Kale hesitated a moment and then saw the opening and rushed forward, breaking through the line into the secondary. He sped down the field and right to the end zone, leaving coaches and players alike stunned.  
  
"What the bleep was that?" Abernathy said, and Boggs just shook his head, looking askance at the coach.  
  
"Bleep?"  
  
"Gotta watch my language with the kiddies," he explained, and Boggs nodded.  
  
Three plays, two more touchdowns and a long run later, Abernathy scratched his head and put Dallas in who was tackled with little or no gain on three consecutive plays. He then put Kale back in who squirted through the line and sped down the field.  
  
"All right boys great practice! Final roster will be posted tomorrow but it looks like Kale is our running back,  Dallas you'll back him up and also round out our receivers." Dallas grimaced. "Let's hit the showers." All the boys headed inside except for Kale who held his place.  
  
"Son?"  
  
"I made the team?"  
  
"Yes, you did," the coach replied wondering if the boy were a bit dense.  
  
"Great!" The boy replied but continued to stand there.  
  
"Well, boy, what are you waiting for. Go shower."  
  
"I think I will," and he headed off in the opposite direction.  
  
"Where are you going, boy?" Abernathy shouted.  
  
The boy turned. "To shower." The coaches looked confused. "And it's not boy," she said as she removed her helmet, letting her braids fall free. "It's Katniss. See you tomorrow!"  
  
"Well, I'll be …," Abernathy started.  
  
"Bleeped, sir?" Boggs finished.  



	2. Parents - The Friendship

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is part of "The Parents" outtakes of the Star Crossed Lovers series. I'm putting these in chronological order so that they make a bit more sense.
> 
> Thanks for reading.

"Pipe down everyone!" Haymitch's voice boomed across the small but overcrowded room. He ran a hand over his jaw and wished that it were the weekend when he could safely drown his worries in a little whiskey or maybe vodka or … . He shook his head and pushed the thoughts of his favorite liquors from his mind.  
  
At the moment he was faced with, well you might say, "a sea of faces" with eyes trained on him. He hated controversy and that's why when the little Everdeen girl showed up to tryout that first day, Coach Abernathy immediately dismissed her. It wasn't that he didn't think she could do well. It was because he wasn't ready to do battle over something like having a girl on the team.

But then he saw her run. He saw her run and the coach knew he had found the key to winning that season. When she doffed her helmet and revealed her thick braid, he inwardly swore and knew he had to fight this battle.  
  
"Girls can't be on the football team. It's not rocket science," Jackson Marvel's voice burst out. Marvel was the president of one of the two banks in town and felt that his words should carry the same weight as gold.  
  
"I'm afraid you're wrong there," Coach Abernathy said as he held up a slim volume bound in a turquoise wrapper. "This is the school athletic handbook, and under football, there's no gender identification. So, there's no official rule prohibiting the girl from playing."  
  
Murmurs broke out again before Storm Cato's father spoke up. "It shouldn't have to be a written policy. It's implied."  
  
"How exactly is it implied? The word 'foot' or no, let me guess, the word 'ball.'" Haymitch quipped sarcastically, and in spite of the tension in the room, several of the parents laughed.  
  
Exasperated, Cato spoke up, "There are some sports where girls should not compete with boys."  
  
"Well, there are only a few sports where gender is mentioned at all and those are boys and girls basketball, cross country, swimming, golf and track. With the latter sports indicating that they are open to both genders. All other sports are gender unspecific. But we are a Title IX school, and as such, we have to provide equal sports for both boys and girls. Other schools have allowed girls to play football."  
  
"What's next? Wrestling?" Marvel snorted.  
  
"As a matter of fact, our district has a very … progressive program when it comes to sports. We've had female wrestlers for awhile now. Little JoHanna Mason wrestles and wins her weight group ever match. Also, we have female hockey players play right alongside their male counterparts all the way through Bantams."  
  
Marvel snorted and disregarded the coach's comment. "I guess Everdeen doesn't care what people think or the fact that everyone already knows he's raising a … ." It seemed like everyone in the room drew in a breath at the same time and held it waiting to see how he finished the sentence. "Dike," he finally spit out. Several gasped in shock, and more than a few shook their heads in anger; however, no one spoke for a full thirty seconds.

But then Blake Everdeen stood, an imposing six feet two inches of sinewy muscle, trembling with rage. His voice was low as he addressed Marvel. "Look here, Jackson, this is the year 2000, and people should be past the name calling, especially people like you. What would people in this town think if a bank president were known to harbor such prejudice? But beyond that, calling a ten-year-old girl that is reprehensible and I will thank you to apologize to me before I break your nose like my daughter broke your son's five years ago."  
  
More than a few chuckled and Marvel looked around anxiously. Even Cato was sitting back subdued. "I … I  … might have been out of line and for that, I'm sorry. But Everdeen think about it. Think about the fact that girl is small and all kinds of boys are going to be tackling her and she won't last out there."  
  
"I appreciate the concern, but Katniss can handle herself and I fully support her placement on the team."  
  
Marvel guffawed loudly and turned his attention to the crowd. "Who here agrees that girl has no place on the team?" He looked around but no one said anything. He cleared his throat, "Well then, I don't see as I have any other choice but to pull my sponsorship from the team." He narrowed his eyes at Haymitch.  
  
The team had few sponsors and the bank had donated three high quality footballs to the team but he wasn't going to back down now. It was a matter of pride. "You have to do as you see fit and we'll just have to get along without the footballs."  
  
"Just a minute," John Mellark spoke up. "I support Katniss on the team and I was thinking that the bakery could underwrite new helmets for the team with the team's logo inscribed on them." The team currently had beat-up, leftover plain white helmets. A cheer erupted. "You pick them out, Coach, and get them ordered and send me the bill!"  
  
Coach Abernathy nodded once and made a note.  
  
"I wouldn't expect anything more from you, Mellark. Your boy has palled around with her for yours, and you know what they say about a boy who has a girl … ."  
  
"Finish that sentence, and I will make good on my promise from earlier," Blake stood again, his voice still low and menacing. "You seem to have a real problem, Marvel and … ." He felt some one place his hand on his shoulder and looked toward John, who had a small smile on his face. He nodded once and let John take over.  
  
"Marvel, you're just upset that your boy is not as good a player as Blake's girl. May as well admit." Laughter erupted all over the room as Marvel's face turned scarlet. "Blake is right though, you seem to show a real lack of tolerance." Marvel sputtered. It was one thing to be called out by a coal miner, but quite another in his mind to be called out by a respected merchant.  
  
A throat cleared behind him and John turned to see Dexter Thresh's dad standing. His deep voice rumbled across the room. "I would like to say that I support Katniss Everdeen's involvement with the team and hereby pledge new jerseys with logo and names for the entire team on behalf of Security National Bank." Another cheer, and Haymitch quickly made notes. "Order them immediately in appropriate sizes and color, Mr. Abernathy and get me the bill."  
  
"We'll underwrite new pants in appropriate size and color. Bill it to Slicker Mines, Inc." Blake turned sharply to see the mine owner Tom Slicker standing in the back. "Also, put new shoes with cleats for the kids on your list!" Another shout of approval rose up.  
  
"The sawmill will donate thigh pads!"  
  
There was a hurried conversation between the merchants before Don Cartwright spoke up. "The Chamber will donate funds for new shoulder pads, and if necessary, footballs too!"  
  
A sly grin overtook Haymitch's face. He had expected to fight a long battle, and leave the room mostly unsupported, and here they were with the best outfitted team save the varsity team. Certainly, they would have better uniforms than any of the other teams they were scheduled to play.  
  
"That's settled then. I'll order the stuff first thing in the morning and expedite shipping to have it here in time for the first game." Haymitch was relieved that they would have new shoes with built-in cleats rather than the strap-ons that most of the team had been wearing. His comment was met with hearty applause.  
  
"All right then, our first game of the season is next Thursday and we will be taking on the Bears. Should be a good matchup and I hope to see you all there!" Haymitch left the stage even as Marvel attempted to keep the debate going.  
  
Blake turned to John as the others began filing out of the room. "I appreciate your support, John," he said as he extended his hand.  
  
"I can't not support our girl, Blake. She's one of a kind, and you know that Peeta would never forgive me if I didn't throw my weight behind her." He smiled as he spoke, and Blake realized how the lines had blurred through the years. Peeta was the son he never had, and Katniss was the daughter John never had. Sure, the pair spent far more time with Blake and Jen than John and his wife, but it was necessity, and he realized that John loved his little girl as much as he loved Peeta. "No matter what, Blake, I will always be there for her."  
  
Blake smiled and slapped him on the back. "Same here."  
  
Little did the two men know that slightly more than a year later, John's promise would be put to the test following Blake's tragic and untimely death. But John did come through for both Katniss and Prim. While he knew he would never replace her father, he became the solid presence in the stormy years that followed and Katniss grew to love him.  On her wedding day, he stood before her and kissed her once on each cheek — for himself and Blake — before escorting her down the aisle to Peeta's waiting arms.  
  
But on this night, the two men could only feel the excitement of the upcoming first game of the season.  
  
"Buy you a beer before going home?" Blake hesitated only a moment.  
  
"Sure, I'll call Jen and let her know." He pulled out his phone and quickly dialed his home phone. "Jen? I'm going to go out with John for a beer. … Yeah, things went great, the kids are going to have brand new uniforms. … Yeah, I'll tell you all about it when I get home. … No, I won't miss bedtime. I never do. … Love you too, bye." He pocketed his phone. "Now, let's go find that beer!"  
  
The two men set off down the street, exchanging light boasts about Peeta's arm and Katniss's legs. Neither of then would have guessed that their early rivalry would have evolved into a mutual friendship cemented by the bond of their children.


	3. Game Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hunger Games characters are the property of Suzanne Collins.

"I ain't playing with no girl," Dallas Marvel's voice rose above the general din of the makeshift pre-game meeting room. It was the same words he had spoken during every practice since Katniss made the team, and now it's just ten minutes before the first game. "I'll never play with girls."  
  
Coach Abernathy regarded him with amusement. "You will some day kid. You will."  
  
"I won't. I'm not some sissy like Mellark, who's always played with girls," Dallas sneered. "It's not fair!"  
  
"Listen kid, I'll tell you what's not fair. Not fair is growing up with the name Haymitch. That's what's not fair!" A few of the boys snickered. "So here's the deal. You will play alongside Katniss, and you will like it or you can leave and never play on another one of my teams. I don't like your attitude."  
  
It wasn't an empty threat either. Coach Abernathy coached not only the varsity team but was athletic director for the entire school. He could quite possibly have a long arm when it came to deciding who would play and who would not. Dallas stood his ground for several seconds before he blurted, "My daddy will have your job you worthless old drunk."  
  
The moment the words left his mouth, Dallas regretted them and wished he could stuff them back in his mouth unheard, but the silence that reigned was a good indicator that every last person in the tiny room had heard his words.  
  
"Huh!" The Coach laughed without mirth. "Better men than your daddy have tried to unseat me, and I'll tell you what, you can just trot on home. We don't need a backup running back when we have Katniss."  
  
"But, my daddy supplied all the footballs," Dallas whined, on the verge of tears.  
  
"He did now, didn't he? Let's see, three game balls and two practice balls. I think I can scare up a few balls but I'm not backing down on this one." He eyed the assembled group in their brand knew red jerseys and snow white pants. "You see, your daddy might have given us his balls, but Katniss here brought in the sponsors that gave us the uniforms with your names on the back, helmets, pads and shoes. Seems like she's worth more than a few balls."  
  
Dallas's face fell. None of the other young teams, not the sixth, seventh or eighth graders had fancy uniforms. Now to hear that it was all because of Katniss, well, it kind of turned his stomach. A girl. He was going to have to play with a girl. Actually, he wasn't as bothered as Storm had been. Storm had been egging him on for the past few days but here he was, the only boy who stuck his neck out on principal. And here he was, the only boy on the verge of having to leave the team.  
  
"Sorry," he mumbled.  
  
"So you want to play?" Abernathy asked. He nodded. "In that case, I want you to apologize to Katniss for all the rude remarks since she joined and you will respect her from here on out."  
  
Dallas nodded and mumbled another apology in the general direction of Katniss, who tossed her braid in acceptance.  
  
With that behind them, the coach began explaining the game plan. After he was done, he looked around at the serious faces that surrounded him. "Let's have a good clean game out there. No penalties, okay? Now let's hit the field for warm-ups." Because of the addition of Katniss, team meetings were no longer held in the locker room but rather a makeshift shack adjacent to the field.  
  
The kids headed to the field where Peeta led them in warm-ups. "That kid is going to be a great leader some day," Boggs commented. Haymitch only grunted. Giving compliments was not his forte but he definitely could see this boy was something to be reckoned with.  
  
The first half sped by quickly and much to the excitement of the hometown crowd, the Bombers were on top 20-6 before halftime. Katniss had some excellent runs and two touchdowns, while Peeta had some short passes and managed to connect with Cash for a medium-distance touchdown.  
  
The Coach gave a brief pep talk and told them to keep up the good work. He should have suspected something was wrong when he noticed Storm Cato talking Dallas's ear off, but he assumed the boys were just offering each other their own brand of pep talk.  
  
Storm had been moved to the offensive line following a minor injury to Dexter Thresh that had benched him late in the second quarter. Now, as the team took the field, Cato lined up and squinted down the field. Dallas took his position as lead block, and Katniss behind him. Peeta took the snap, and quickly faked it to Dallas before handing it off to Katniss.  
  
The play was simple enough. They had done it dozens of times in practice. With Dallas in the lead, Katniss was to follow and pick out the hole. But seconds later, it was clear that something had gone seriously afoul, as the opponent broke through the line as if he wasn't even blocked and smashed Katniss to the turf in a crushing tackle.  
  
Peeta was right there pulling the weighty fifth grader off from her. Katniss still somehow managed to hold the ball but her eyes fluttered and she was having trouble focusing. He knelt quickly by her side. "You okay?"  
  
"Ummm, no ... I don't know," she barely managed to whisper.  
  
"Coach Abernathy, come quick. She's hurt." Abernathy and Boggs were already making their way over, along with the school's trainer.  
  
"Move out of the way, boy, I got to get in close to check her out. Peeta stood quickly, his eyes sweeping his teammates, most of whom stood by solemnly, but then his eyes landed on a grinning Dallas and a smirking Storm, and he knew. Peeta knew it was a set-up, the defensive lineman had come across totally unblocked and nailed her.  
  
In a flash, Peeta was on them. He didn't care there were two of them. All he cared about was avenging Katniss. He used Dallas as a tackling dummy and knocked him into Storm. Once on the ground, Peeta peeled back Dallas's helmet and began smashing his fist into his face. Blood spurted from his nose before Peeta turned his attention to Storm who was scrambling to get away.  
  
Peeta grabbed him by the jersey and hauled him down to the turf. "You think it's funny, Cato? You think it's smart to get one of your teammates hurt. That show's how dumb you really are." Storm was attempting to dislodge Peeta who sat on his chest. Just as he was about to take a swing, the referee pulled Peeta off.  
  
"Calm down. I've got a good mind to eject all three of you from the game."  
  
"Three of us? Peeta's the one who went all crazy on us."  
  
"I saw what you did, boy, everyone saw it. You sidestepped your man and let him come across unblocked," the referee stated.  
  
"I missed him," Storm said defiantly.  
  
Peeta stepped forward again, "That's just dumb, Storm. You did it on purpose."  
  
"Prove it, Mellark."  
  
"That's enough," Coach Abernathy boomed. "Storm, Dallas get to the locker room and clean-up. You're through here. We'll make a decision about your future with the team after the game. Peeta, I think she needs you."  
  
Peeta was back at her side in a second. "Hey," he greeted.  
  
"I'm okay, Peeta." She held out her hand and he helped her sit up. "Just got the wind knocked out of me. Coach is benching me for the rest of the quarter." Peeta nodded, grateful that the color had returned to her cheeks. "That was a dumb move, by the way, Peeta." He looked surprised as she ran her fingers across his bloody knuckles. "When are you going to learn that those two aren't worth it? Now help me up."  
  
Peeta reached for her hand again and pulled her to her feet. They walked past Coach Abernathy who was arguing loudly with Mr. Marvel. The crowd rose to their feet and applauded as they made their way to the bench. "I'm sorry that you got hurt, Katniss."  
  
"Peeta, I just need to learn to keep my eyes open. I think I could've ducked under him if I had been watching better."  
  
Peeta shook his head, "Storm didn't even block. Neither did Dallas."  
  
"That's right," Coach Abernathy said as he knelt down beside the pair. He heaved a heavy sigh and looked at Peeta. "Son, I understand your anger but Marvel is asking that I boot you from the team." Peeta's sucked in his breath. "Oh, I ain't gonna do that. No siree. But I can't let you play for the rest of the game. I'm not going to send you to the locker room though. You can sit out the game here."  
  
Peeta nodded. He had lost his temper and he knew that he needed to be disciplined. His only thought was avenging Katniss who had laid on the ground just a few minutes ago, unable to breathe.  Sitting out the rest of the game was a small price to pay, in his mind. Well, that was true until he heard, "Peeta James Mellark, you are a disgrace. Fighting on the field like a common little heathen." As soon as he heard his first name, Peeta knew that there was trouble. "I raised you better than that. You will come with me," his mother spat as she reached down to grab his elbow.  
  
Katniss was on her feet in a half-beat, pushing between Peeta and his mother. She had too often seen the results of her mothering on Peeta's arms, chest and back. "Sit down you little Seam brat before I … ."  
  
"Cynthia," came the quiet voice of Peeta's father. "Do you really want to make a scene here?" He inwardly cheered for the 10-year-old girl who had the spunk to stand up to the woman that for too long held all the power.  
  
"Let go of him," Katniss said quietly, but the anger was apparent in her voice.  
  
"Or what?"  
  
"I'm not afraid of you," Katniss pushed forward, forcing Cynthia to step backward and drop his arm. For his part, Peeta watched the showdown with wide eyes. No one outside his father had ever stood up to his mother, and most often, his father usually only came to his rescue after the hurt had been inflicted. His heart swelled as he realized the lengths Katniss was willing to go for him.  
  
Katniss's jaw was set and her face was determined. She would not allow Mrs. Mellark to hurt Peeta while she was around.  
  
"Excuse me." It was her father. "What's going on here?" He placed his hands on Katniss's shoulders, adding another body between Cynthia and Peeta.  
  
She eyed the father-daughter pair suspiciously, and then looked around them to Peeta. "We will discuss this at home, Peeta but bear in mind you have shamed us." With that, she turned on her heel and strode across the sideline.  
  
"Folks, everything okay?" Coach Abernathy questioned.  
  
"Yes. Just checking on the kids. Um, what's going to happen to Peeta because of the fight?" John Mellark questioned.  
  
"Well, I have an agreement that what happens on the field stays on the field. He won't be disciplined … in school, that is. Besides, Peeta was just reacting to the situation. He's going to sit the bench today, and hopefully, he will think about it before he does it again." Peeta listened to Coach Abernathy's words and never again fought on the field.  
  
Blake motioned John to the side. "I know it's only Thursday, but do you suppose Peeta could come home with us this evening?" Long ago, the Everdeens had taken responsibility for Peeta's well being and John was relieved. It meant that he could talk to his wife before she saw their youngest. At the very least, she would calm slightly before she gave Peeta a piece of her mind.  
  
"I think that would be fine," he slapped Blake on the back before turning to Peeta and kneeling in front of him. "Peeta, good work out there son, you have a great arm and you're smart." Peeta grinned. "I … uh … understand why you did what you did out there son." Peeta nodded.  
  
Katniss was still standing, "And you, young lady, are something else. You are an incredible running back." She smiled at his words. "Also, um … thanks for being there for Peeta."  
  
"It's okay," she said in typical Katniss-fashion, dismissing his words. "It's what we do, Peeta and me, we protect each other." John smiled, the same crooked smile that Peeta always gave her, and then he pulled her into a hug.  
  
Eventually, things settled down and the Bombers lost by three. With all their star players on the bench or in the locker room, their opponent rolled over the top of them. Katniss and Peeta sat on the bench watching the game play out. After it was over, they joined their teammates on the field to shake hands with the other team.  
  
"Come on team," Coach Abernathy said as he motioned them toward the locker room. "You too, Katniss." They entered the locker room and Katniss looked around curiously. Storm and Dallas were dressed and waiting with Coach Boggs.  
  
"Okay team, we lost one out there that we could have won and if you want to lay the blame somewhere, it's on the shoulders of these two who gave up their teammate so they could enjoy a laugh at her expense. Well, the laugh is on them. I've decided to suspend them for the next four games."  
  
"You can't do that," Dallas said, "my dad'll take his balls back."  
  
Haymitch smirked and Bogg's stifled a laugh. "Here you go, boy, here's your dad's balls and you can leave now."  
  
Both boys stood defiantly and walked out of the locker room.  
  
Coach Abernathy finished his post-game wrap-up. With Storm and Dallas out of the game, the Bombers enjoyed four victories in a row. Katniss scored eight touchdowns and ran for one hundred-plus yards per game. Peeta had six touch down passes, and gained forty-plus yards per game. Dallas chose not to return, but Storm did and never again side-stepped his block and the Bombers finessed the season seven and one.  
  
Cynthia never did discipline Peeta for his on-field behavior. As far as she was concerned, out of sight, out of mind and the Everdeens kept Peeta at their house through the weekend. Cynthia chose to never again attend one of the Peeta's sporting events and made good on her word for the next eight years.  
  
As for Katniss, she learned a valuable lesson that day. She learned that Mrs. Mellark would back down if challenged. She filed the information away, and later on drew on it in a final showdown with Mrs. Mellark.  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the feedback!


	4. I Volunteer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hunger Games characters belong to Suzanne Collins.

"Now class," Katniss's teacher rang out, "before we begin today, I have an announcement. Our school is dedicated to keeping class sizes at a … reasonable level. Mr. Brown had two transfers before the term started and another in the past few days."  
  
Katniss sat up straighter when she heard Mr. Brown's name brought up as he was Peeta's teacher. "I, on the other hand, have the largest fifth grade classroom. Because of this, we are looking for a volun … ." Katniss's hand shot straight up before her teacher could finish the word. "Teer," she finished, somewhat surprised by how quickly Katniss's hand was in the air.  
  
"I volunteer," Katniss said, quickly. The teacher struggled a bit to maintain her composure. She was generally regarded as one of the "funnest" teachers in fifth grade and the other teachers had bet that bribes would be involved to get one of the students to move to Mr. Brown's class. It wasn't that Mr. Brown was a bad teacher, he just lacked … well, flair or maybe charisma.  
  
Nonetheless, her teacher was taken aback on many levels. Katniss was widely regarded as one of the smartest kids in fifth grade and a potential future candidate for valedictorian. She was a joy to teach in spite of her somewhat sour appearance, rarely smiling in class except at Darius. Katniss completed her work neatly and on time. She participated in class discussions, and her teacher could tell she was a natural leader.  
  
"Are you sure?" The teacher was trying, but not necessarily successfully, to keep the hurt from her voice.  
  
"Yes, ma'am," Katniss replied without a hint of malice. Her teacher watched her for several seconds. If some kind of underlying resentment was to blame, she couldn't tell. Katniss appeared quite excited about the prospect but hardly resentful toward her.  
  
"May I ask why you would like to change classes?" Her teacher sniffed a bit.  
  
"Ummm," Katniss considered lying but then decided against it. "My best friend is in the other class, and we are kind of competitive (that was putting it mildly). Together, we make each other better. … Students. Better students." Her teacher was not unaware of the strong friendship between her and Peeta Mellark, but still, to want to move away from her colorful and beautifully decorated room, to the barren, bare walls of Mr. Brown, hardly made sense. Sacrificing everything for a friendship.  
  
In her heart, Katniss's teacher had hoped that Storm Cato would want to change classrooms but he was quickly developing a crush on little Judy Glimmer. When did hormones become an issue in fifth grade? Then an idea formed in her head. "All right, Katniss, but I need to ask if anyone else would like to change classrooms, then we can draw straws."  
  
Katniss was disappointed. She looked at her classmates. Most of the girls had their eyes trained on their desks, reluctant to even make eye contact with their teacher lest she interpret that as a sign she volunteered. If you were a fifth grader, this was the room where you wanted to be.  
  
"Anyone? Anyone else want to move to Mr. Brown's classroom?" The teacher scanned their faces hopefully. "Storm?" He shook his head sullenly. "Darius?" He too, shook his head. While he wouldn't mind moving to the other classroom, he feared Katniss's wrath if he did volunteer. The teacher tried a few others. "Well, all right Katniss, gather your belongings and prepare to move. Your books will be reassigned in your new classroom."  
  
Katniss smiled slightly as she reached for her backpack and quickly deposited her notebooks, pencils, markers, crayons and other things in her backpack. She then gathered her books and deposited them on the teacher's desk. It had only been a week, but the teacher inspected all her books carefully.  
  
"Well, goodbye Katniss. I hope this move … is a good one for you." Katniss nodded but was too excited to consider that she had somehow offended her teacher with her willingness to move. "Class, say goodbye to Katniss."  
  
"Bye, Katniss," the class intoned in unison.  
  
"Bye," she waved her hand and started for the door.  
  
"I'll be right back," the teacher followed her and took the lead as they walked to Mr. Brown's classroom pausing to knock before entering. Mr. Brown was in a three-point stance when they entered.  
  
"And then, I jumped up and took on, not one, not two but three linemen all at once. That's how I got the nickname Brutus. Brute Force." Most of the boys looked excited, but the girls looked bored. Katniss's teacher cleared her throat. Mr. Brown looked up and hastily tucked in the tail of his dress shirt that had ridden up during his explanation.  
  
"Good morning!" Mr. Brown boomed.  
  
"Mr. Brown, this is Katniss Ever … ."  
  
"Katniss Everdeen. The girl who needs no introduction. Star running back of our Bombers," he walked excitedly to her side. "Pleased to meet you, little lady," Katniss's ears burned. She hated being called "little lady." "Are you going to be in my class?" Katniss nodded and suddenly Peeta's face came into focus just beyond Mr. Brown's large arm. His face registered surprise but was quickly replaced by a smile.  
  
"Come right with me," Mr. Brown pulled her toward an empty desk.  
  
"Bye, Katniss," her old teacher said again, hoping that she would have changed her mind upon seeing the cave of a classroom that Mr. Brown called his homeroom.  
  
"Bye," Katniss said as she mentally judged the distance between her's and Peeta's desks. They didn't necessarily have to sit side by side, it was just better when they did. Peeta was at the end of his row, while she was in the middle, dead middle of the classroom.  
  
"Okay, now," Mr. Brown's mood had visibly improved while Dallas Marvel's mood had deflated. He was to Katniss's immediate right and still sitting out his suspension from the team. As Katniss began arranging her belongings, Dallas waited until Mr. Brown's back was turned and grabbed her braid, yanking on it hard.  
  
"Dallas!" She bit out, before balling her fist and hitting him squarely in the jaw. Fortunately, for her, Mr. Brown, and the entire class, had seen Dallas initiate the interaction.  
  
"Dallas!" Mr. Brown's voice boomed. "I swear, I should just keep an office pass here with your name on it. Looks like we will need to do some rearranging of desks." Dallas, bring your desk to the front of this row." He pointed to the one where Katniss was sitting. "And Katniss, first day of class, I let everyone pick their own seats. Do you have any friends here?" She nodded. "Well, let's see if we can get you closer to your friends." It was unorthodox to move friends next to each other, but she wasn't complaining.  
  
It took nearly fifteen minutes of moving, but eventually, everyone was happy with the new seating arrangement. Everyone except Marvel, who looked like he was about to lose it as he sat front and center.  
  
Katniss sat in the back to Peeta's left. Jo was on the other side of Peeta. In spite of the rather plain room, Katniss was home. She would gladly endure Dallas, for the opportunity to be with Peeta. She hated his new work schedule which left little time for the two of them. Now, though, they would have their class time together.  
  
Mr. Brown began the day with science and divided the kids into groups of three for the experiments he called, "Mystery Powders." Peeta, Jo and Katniss worked together.  
  
Since most of the powders were baking items, Peeta could identify them by sight alone without the need for scientific testing. Katniss, on the other hand, applied her natural inquisitiveness to the task and used the scientific methods Mr. Brown introduced to identify each substance, looking to Peeta to confirm her findings. Jo, though, used the tried and true method of taste to determine each powder.  
  
Jo licked her finger and quick dunked it in one of the bowls before licking the residue from her finger. "Sugar," she said before Katniss even had her burner lit. "Jo, we're supposed to use science to figure it out."  
  
"Taste is a science," Jo replied haughtily. Her system worked well until the third substance, baking soda which caused her to screw up her face. "What is that shit?" She exclaimed rather loudly causing the girls at the neighboring station to gasp in alarm.  
  
As the day progressed, Katniss could sense Peeta's eyes on her every so often, and she would look up to the warm blues staring at her, a shy smile on her face. They stood together in the lunch line waiting to get milk to drink with the lunches they brought. Mr. Brown had not prepared his class for her arrival, so Peeta was still in the dark as to why Katniss was now in his homeroom.  
  
"How did you do it?" Peeta asked as they inched their way forward.  
  
Katniss glanced at him. He was now about an inch taller than her but undoubtedly heavier and more muscled. "I volunteered. My old teacher said Mr. Brown needed more students, and I volunteered."  
  
"Oh," Peeta replied, not sure if she would want to reveal her reasoning. It didn't matter though because they were choosing their milk and heading back to the tables.  
  
Over lunch, they chatted with Jo, who was still complaining about her last taste test, baking powder. "It was worse, way worse than the baking soda. Who would use that crap anyway?"  
  
"We use it all the time," Peeta interjected. Jo looked shocked. "At the bakery, we use it all the time. It makes things rise, like cookies and stuff."  Jo was skeptical.  
  
"Why don't the cookies taste rotten then?" It was a fair question in her mind.  
  
"Well," said Peeta, temporarily stumped by her query. "I guess it's because we put sugar and stuff in. I think it neutralizes the flavor of the baking soda and powder."  
  
"Why put it in if you are only going to … neuter it?" Jo grinned at him.  
  
"Because the cookies would just be … not as good without it."  
  
"But … ." Before Jo could finish what she was about to say, Katniss interrupted. She knew that Jo loved to debate, even when it was clear that someone else knew more about the topic than her. This was one of those times, and Katniss didn't want to see Peeta humiliated by her sometimes inappropriate comments.  
  
"Peeta, what days do we have gym?" Katniss asked, even though she had already studied the weekly schedule on the bulletin board.  
  
"We have gym every third day, so we have it today at 1:30 and then again on Thursday. Art tomorrow and music on Wednesday."  
  
Jo let out an exasperated sigh. She wasn't ready to let go of the baking powder conversation just yet. She enjoyed getting Peeta in a position to squirm. His face turned red, right to the tips of his ears. But Jo knew with Katniss there to protect him, it would be harder. "Back to the powders. …"  
  
"We have reading right after gym?"  
  
"Uh-huh," Peeta said, his mouth full of salami sandwich.  
  
"I love reading," Katniss continued, waiting for a moment when Peeta's mouth was not full so she could ask him a question about a book. "In fact, Peeta and I read, 'Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire' this summer." That was all it took to get Jo's mind off baking soda.  
  
Jo favored Draco Malfoy, while Katniss considered Peeta, a blonde, blue-eyed Harry Potter. Secretly, she was Hermione Granger and sometimes, she considered Darius, the Ron Weasley of their group. A few years later, she was put off to discover that Hermione was secretly crushing on Ron, having only pictured Harry and Hermione together. Afterward, Katniss preferred the character of Ginny, but not because she snagged Harry.  
  
The rest of the day sped by and soon, Katniss found herself walking to practice alongside Peeta.  
  
"Uh, Katniss?" He looked at her quickly as she turned her head, noting the pink blush of his cheeks. "Why did you do it? Switch classes, I mean. You loved your homeroom." Katniss had the teacher all the fifth graders wanted. The room was full of all kinds of exciting things from the reading corner that was draped in blankets, to the "zoo" which housed gerbils, hamsters, a snake and a lizard.  
  
She considered his question for a moment before answering. "You would have done it for me." It was simple and to the point, and yes, Peeta would have done it for her.  



	5. Parents - The Bully

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter from "The Parents" fits here!
> 
> Thanks for reading.

"My name is Katniss Everdeen. I am 10-years-old. I live in the Seam. I go to District 12 school. My dad is a superintendent in the mines. My mom is a midwife and practices holistic medicine. My little sister, Prim, is in first grade. My best friend is Peeta Mellark. We have known each other since we were five. I like to play football and hunt.  
  
"In five years, I will be in tenth grade and I think everything will be pretty much like it is now. Except maybe I won't play football and my sister will be in sixth grade instead of first.  
  
"In ten years, I will be in college. I would like to be a veterinarian but I don't know if my love of hunting quite fits that career. I might study forestry because I love the woods or maybe I will become a writer. I don't plan to date but if I do it will probably be Peeta.  
  
"I know that in fifteen years, everyone expects to be married with a baby or something. If I get married, it will be Peeta and we will have a dog instead of a baby."  
  
Blake and Jen exchanged a glance as they read the last paragraph. He shook his head slightly trying to hide the grin that was spreading. Just then they noticed that Peeta was approaching.  
  
"Hey!" Peeta greeted before turning his attention to the wall and reading Katniss's story. He grinned widely as he realized he made the first paragraph, and a faint blush appeared as he read that she would probably date him. A frown graced his face as he started to read the last paragraph but suddenly broke into an unabashed grin accompanied by scarlet cheeks.  
  
"Uh, well," Peeta said as he turned to the Everdeens who had watched his reactions with amusement. He reached up and tugged his blonde hair nervously. "Is … uh … Katniss around?"  
  
It had been a long time since they had seen Peeta tug his hair and Blake reached up a hand to cover the small chuckle that escaped. "Uh, she's over there I think," Blake gestured to the far wall filled with artwork.  
  
"Oh, okay. Nice seeing you." Peeta hurried off.  
  
"Let's find Peeta's," Blake said, wondering to himself what the boy had written. They looked around and spotted Peeta's father John reading a paper on the wall. The Everdeens moved over to him and began to read.  
  
"My name is Peeta Mellark. I am ten-years-old. My father is a baker and we live in an area called Victor's Village which is a fancy name for one of the developments. My best friend is Katniss Everdeen and I spend a lot of time with her family in the Seam. So I live there too. I like to draw, play football and wrestle. But most of all, I love to spend time with Katniss doing stuff she likes.  
  
"In five years, I will be a sophomore. I think I will still be playing football and wrestling. I will probably still enjoy drawing and I might be helping out more at the bakery where I'm learning to decorate cakes. Katniss doesn't want to date but I hope she will change her mind.  
  
"In ten years, I will be in college and studying art I think. I would like to do something with Katniss when I grow up. I plan to be engaged and it will be to Katniss. I think by then I will be able to have changed her mind about dating.  
  
"In fifteen years, Katniss and I will be married. I don't think we will have children at that point because that's going to take a lot more talking on my part but we will have a dog. His name will be Chuckles and he will be a golden retriever because Katniss likes to hunt. The end. Well, there's more but that's as far as the assignment asked."  
  
The years would prove that Peeta was far more prophetic than Katniss. But as of that point, no one knew what the future held for anyone. The three parents stood in silence for a moment, each reckoning at how quickly time passed. Blake wondered what had happened to the little girl who toddled at his heels, and John wondered where the pudgy little boy, who sat quiet as a church mouse in the corner, had gone. Somewhere along the line, Peeta had grown into a confident, focussed young man.  
  
It had not gone unnoticed that Peeta had mentioned neither his mother nor his brothers. "Is … is your wife here tonight, John?" Jen asked. It was the fall family night coupled with parent-teacher conferences.  
  
He shook his head quickly. "Migraine," he muttered, but when Jen thought about it, she had never once seen Cynthia at a school function since Peeta's first football game in late summer. It was probably better that way because if she had read his story, she likely would have torn it from the wall.  
  
Jen remembered Peeta's excitement in kindergarten when all the children had made a card for their moms for Mother's Day. He showed it to Jen and she was amazed that the little boy had drawn a perfect lily on the front of the card. Lillies were Jen's favorite. "I hope Mother will like it," Peeta said, his voice full of concern.  
  
"She'll love it," Jen assured. After all, what mother wouldn't? Two hours later, she found out exactly what kind of mother wouldn't when John called wondering if he could drop his little son off for the weekend. Usually Peeta spent every weekend with the Everdeens but the parents had conferred and decided since it was Mother's Day, he should spend the weekend at his home. "Of course," she had answered quickly and when he arrived. Peeta was holding the remnants of his card. Jen took in his tear-streaked face and held open her arms. He promptly walked into them and began sobbing uncontrollably.  
  
Finally, "Her favorite …  is a … is a rose," Peeta gasped out. Jen hugged him tighter. "I should have given … it to you … cause that's who I made it for." Later that evening, he sat at the table and redrew the lily. Jen could hear Katniss spelling, "M-O-T-H-E-R apostrophe, you know the little hangy thing, S." A few minutes later, Peeta shyly presented it to her and stepped back. If anything, it was prettier than the first card.  
  
"Oh Peeta, it's beautiful," and she hugged him close. After that, she always received two identical gifts for Mother's Day and Peeta's mother received none. If Cynthia missed the gifts, she never mentioned it. Jen always exclaimed over both and Peeta relished the hugs she generously doled out.  
  
Katniss's voice drew Jen back to the present. "Come quick, you hafta see this. Peeta's got a whole wall to himself." The parents followed and sure enough, Peeta's drawings occupied an entire wall. Peeta stood to the side, flushed and a little sweaty as people admired his drawings and asked questions.  
  
There were drawings of fruit and drawings of vases filled with flowers. But there were also drawings of Katniss climbing a tree, Buttercup stalking his prey, Jen standing by the stove, Blake sitting in his chair, Prim playing in the lake. John had focussed on one drawing in particular though. It was Peeta's perspective as big hands joined little hands kneading a lump of bread dough. It was plain pencil but Peeta had captured the reality of the scene. He reached out to trace the edge of the paper.  
  
"This is going right in the front of the bakery," John said, pride evident in his voice.  
  
"Really, Dad?"  
  
"Yes, really. I'm going to have it framed." Peeta absolutely beamed at his father's words.  
  
Mr. Brown's voice interrupted them. "Mr. and Mrs. Everdeen, I'm ready for you."  
  
"Okay," Blake answered before turning to Katniss, "You want to wait out here or go in?"  
  
"I'll wait here," she answered quickly, looking in Peeta's direction. Blake couldn't help but wonder if Katniss harbored deeper feelings for Peeta than she was willing to admit.  
  
Together, Blake and Jen went into the rather plain classroom.  
  
"Have a seat," Mr. Brown said, indicating the empty chairs at the small table. Once they were settled, "Katniss is a pleasure to have in my class. I hope you were not too surprised when she switched to my class."  
  
"No, not surprised at all," Blake said trying to suppress a grin. He and Jen were not surprised at all when Katniss had explained during supper that night that she had switched classrooms to be closer to Peeta. If her grades weren't so high, they may have worried but Peeta and Katniss pushed each other to greater heights academically.  
  
"She excels in every subject and is a natural born leader. She has a bright future ahead of her." Mr. Brown said. Both Jen and Blake nodded. Year after year, they had heard similar things. "My only concern is … ." Blake shifted uneasily. Not since kindergarten had anyone voiced concerns about Katniss, and that was her slightly anti-social behavior. "… How close she is to Peeta Mellark."  
  
Blake and Jen exchanged a glance, and smiled slightly. "Now, I know that pre-adolescent hormones are already kicking in for a lot of kids. Hel-ck," he said, barely catching himself. "I never realized just how powerful those hormones would be in kids this young. I would almost prefer the 'cootie stage.' But it seems deeper than that. They do everything together, and she's not afraid to come to his defense."  
  
"What's the problem?" Blake asked impatiently not seeing any reason to be concerned. It was a fact of their lives that Katniss and Peeta were close to each other.  
  
"Uh. Well, it's just she doesn't have many female friends. I mean, there's Johanna Mason, but she's well, probably not the best influence. Then there's Delly but she's definitely swooning over Peeta and merely tolerates Katniss. Of course, Madgie Undersee is always trying to be her friend, but she spends all her free time with Peeta."  
  
"Oh. Okay," Blake said, and brought his fingers up to scratch his temple while he stalled for time as he tried to come up with a suitable response.  
  
But before he could respond further, Jen jumped in, "I don't see the problem, Mr. Brown. Katniss and Peeta have been best friends since the first day of kindergarten. Peeta practically lives with us in the summer and spends every weekend with us during the school year. It's no mystery to me that they spend the amount of time together that they do."  
  
Mr. Brown was momentarily stymied. "Uh, but … well … aren't you … concerned? I mean, he's a boy and she's a … girl. I mean, I'm all for women's lib and everything, but still." He was nearly stammering under the glare of Jen Everdeen.  
  
"Mr. Brown, I appreciate your concern but it's none of your business. Have you seen anything that causes you concern that something ... untoward is going on?" He shook his head slightly. "Well, I'll tell you, Peeta is one of the nicest children around, boy or girl. I don't really think it's a 'women's lib' issue, nor is a matter of feminism. Peeta and Katniss are friends, best friends and I don't think gender factors into it at all. It might at some point and at such time, we'll deal with it. Now is there anything else?"  
  
He shook his head, as a blush creeped up his cheeks, tinging his ears. The Everdeens rose stiffly to their feet and pushed back from the table. In truth, Mr. Brown would never have even mentioned it if not for Mr. Marvel's insistence, and now he had upset them. He was never really bothered by the friendship of Peeta and Katniss, and wasn't even sure what Mr. Marvel was insinuating when he suggested, strongly, that someone needed to talk to the Everdeens. Marvel made it sound like he would be doing them a favor.  
  
They were nearly to the door. "Wait!" The Everdeens turned, neither one looking happy that their exit had been interrupted. "I'm sorry. Marvel said I should talk to you about them. That you didn't understand how the friendship looked to everyone else."  
  
"What?" Blake asked incredulously. "You? … Marvel?… You better understand something if you're going to get through the rest of the year. For whatever reason, Marvel's kid Dallas has bullied Katniss and Peeta since kindergarten. Both kids have fought back when provoked. I don't condone violence, Mr. Brown, but I have taught Katniss to defend herself. Marvel is just trying to get back at us because of his own son's ridiculous behavior. I'm just surprised you agreed to take part."  
  
"I …. I'm trying to get a loan for a house." Mr. Brown's shoulders sagged.  
  
"Ah, sorry," Blake said, a look of pity in his eyes.  
  
He stepped out of the classroom and saw Marvel and his son, Dallas, several feet away snickering at Peeta's paintings. John stood nearby red-faced and clutching the shoulders of Katniss who appeared read to explode. Blake was glad that all his financial dealings were through the credit union.  
  
"Marvel," he said loud enough to attract the attention of several parents. "I've had enough of your passive-aggressive tactics. I knew from the time your boy was in kindergarten that he was a bully but I always gave you the benefit of the doubt. I guess I just can't anymore." Blake still stood several feet away ensuring that he would have to raise his voice slightly to be heard but the room had fallen silent.  
  
"I guess Dallas learned his bullying tactics from you." Marvel's pink shirt accentuated his blush which appeared a deep red. "Threatening a house loan for Mr. Brown if he didn't speak to us about my girl's friendship with Peeta." Jaws fell around the room. "I'll thank you to keep your mouth shut about it. If you ever do something like that again, I'll personally make sure you never work in banking again." Blake wasn't sure he could make good on the threat but he laid it out there anyway.  
  
"And, if your son ever bothers my daughter or Peeta Mellark again, I will ask that the school follow through with all the threats of suspension and expulsion they have levied through the years."  
  
Mr. Brown had appeared in the doorway and his face was now ashen. Mr. Thresh stepped forward, "Brown, I would like to extend an invitation to you to submit an application at my bank. I will deal personally with you and make sure you get the best rates possible." Color returned to his cheeks as Mr. Brown nodded.  
  
"Thanks," he murmured.  
  
"That goes for anyone else who might be looking for a loan that's been held up under false pretenses," Thresh said, looking around the room.  
  
John Mellark stepped forward. "I'll be transferring my money tomorrow, Thresh." John's mortgage was held by the credit union but his business and personal accounts were mainly at Marvel's bank. Laziness had resulted in him keeping everything status quo for too long.  
  
Others stepped forward in a show of solidarity against the banker who everyone knew resorted to personal issues when it came to banking decisions. Marvel glanced around nervously and then put a hand on his son's back. "I resent the implications, Everdeen. But if you feel I wronged you, then I'm sorry."  
  
"I don't care about meaningless apologies. You just better not poke your nose in our business again." Marvel nodded curtly and pulled his son over to the refreshments table. If there was one thing Blake knew, it was when a man was whipped. He could have continued, but what kind of example would he have been to his Katniss and Peeta.  
  
So instead, the Everdeens made their way to John Mellark just as he was called in to the classroom. John's eyes questioned Blake, but he only shrugged.  
  
"Daddy?" Katniss questioned. "Did Mr. Marvel say something about Peeta and me?"  
  
"Nothing worth worrying about baby girl," he hugged her close and then pulled Peeta in. "How about this weekend we close up the cabin for the winter? One last round of hotdogs before the snow flies." Both children nodded excitedly knowing that closing the cabin was nearly as fun as opening it in the spring.  
  
By and large, Marvel did keep his promise not to threaten and bully his customers. Although, it probably had more to do with the fact that a fair percentage of his business left that day than Blake's words about his future. Dallas, on the other hand, continued to mix it up with Peeta and Katniss, even once bullying Prim and her little friend, Rue.  
  
But during their mid-teens, it became painfully clear that Dallas had a huge crush on Katniss. Peeta and she were not an official couple yet but they had, by that point, done a fair share of fooling around — just not openly. Dallas wrongly assumed that Katniss was a free agent so when he asked her to the ninth grade spring dance, he was surprised to find himself escorted away from her locker by Peeta who twisted his arm against his back enough to create a fair amount of leverage.  
  
Dallas never really did give up on Katniss. He just used more caution to flirt with her when Peeta was not around. Unfortunately for him, he lacked grace and skill when it came to flirting and he came off as bumbling and inept. Or maybe it was fortunate for him, because Katniss never did figure out that he was flirting. Because if she had … .


	6. The Talk

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hunger Games characters belong to Suzanne Collins.
> 
> Thanks for reading!

"Now girls, today we are going to learn about your changing bodies," the voice of Katniss's former teacher cut through the chatter, silencing  the group immediately. Some of the girls giggled, a few looked about nervously, some squirmed in their seats. But Katniss Everdeen was appalled beyond belief.  
  
The "Talk." She had heard about it on the playground when some of the sixth grade girls had cornered her and Delly, but she had thought the older girls were more or less just trying to frighten them and she put it out of her mind.   
  
She should have known though, when the boys were ushered into Mr. Chaff's room from the playground, and the girls were herded into her original homeroom. Katniss chastised herself for not realizing what was going on when Miss Trinket, her kindergarten teacher made an appearance in the room. (Fifth grade had an abundance of male teachers, but only one female teacher, so apparently, they called Miss Trinket for backup.)  
  
"It's an exciting time in your life. Not only are you growing taller and stronger, but your body is changing shape as well." Katniss fidgeted. She knew that she would ONE DAY change shape, but she was not prepared for it anytime soon. In fact, she preferred her slim hips and non-existent chest. After all, it had made wearing her shoulder pads that much easier during football season.  
  
"As your body changes outwardly, there are changes occurring inwardly as well, and we are going to discuss the wonderful, awesome changes that are taking place." Katniss wondered what could be changing on the inside that could be so awesome. It wasn't that she was particularly naive, she was more or less uninformed.   
  
She glanced around the class and noticed that Jo was sitting with a bored expression on her face. Delly was the picture of decorum, sitting studiously with her hands folded and a look that suggested the "talk" was old news. But it was Judy Glimmer's smirk that caused Katniss to do a double-take. She wasn't overly fond of the brash girl since she had demanded to know the status of her and Peeta's relationship.  
  
"Is. He. Your. Boyfriend?" Glimmer asked Katniss for a third time. At first, Katniss ignored her as they stood in line for lunch. Peeta had been out sick that day, and Katniss stood beside Jo in the line. They were at the back of their class, and Glimmer happened to be at the front of hers, and she was relentless. In a three-minute period she had pelted Katniss with questions ranging from whether she and Peeta had kissed (Katniss ignored that one) to whether Peeta had ever felt her up (again ignored).  
  
Eventually, though, they were on the playground, and Glimmer persisted until Katniss finally said, "He is my boy friend." Glimmer stilled immediately, her left eyebrow arching dramatically. Katniss didn't care if, strictly speaking, Peeta wasn't the type of boyfriend Glimmer meant. It wasn't a lie, he was a boy and he was her friend. She would've said about anything to shut stupid Glimmer up at that point.  
  
Finally, Glimmer spoke again. "Why don't you guys hold hands then?"  
  
"We do hold hands," and that too, was basically true. They held hands all the time just not at school, and not for romantic purposes.  
  
Glimmer narrowed her eyes at Katniss. "Well, my older sister took J.J. Mellark's 'vcard' and I'm going to take Peeta's vcard when the time comes."  
  
Katniss wasn't sure what a vcard was or how you went about taking it, but she was pretty certain that Peeta would give it to her if she asked. "Maybe I've already taken it," Katniss said with a bravado that surprised even her.   
  
Glimmer's smile faded immediately as she looked Katniss up and down, and then sneered, "Should have known you were a Seam tramp," and strutted off.  
  
Jo, who was close by, stood with her mouth agape, "What the heck, Brainless? You took his vcard?"  
  
The look on Jo's face, caused Katniss to stammer a bit, "Uh, no. I mean … I don't know, Jo. Glimmer just … and, well, I don't know what a vcard is."  
  
That statement caused Jo to laugh uproariously at Katniss. In fact, she made quite a spectacle of herself until finally, gasping, she managed, "You crack me up, Brainless." At that point, she proceeded to tell Katniss what a vcard was and how you took someone's card. Katniss was embarrassed. She had never considered doing anything like that with Peeta, or any boy for that matter. To be honest. It all sounded a bit … gross.  
  
The next day was worse, though, because Glimmer had told Storm Cato and Dallas Marvel, and they teased Peeta endlessly. He was not naive, having two older brothers and one apparently without his vcard anymore, but he valiantly stuck up for Katniss.   
  
It was in those moments, as Peeta defended her honor that Katniss firmly decided that Peeta would in fact "take her card" and she would "take his." And they would, eventually, take each others cards, so to speak. But it would be years after that ill fated conversation on the playground, and it wasn't the result of taunting but rather mutual exploration of two people who had long before given their hearts to each other.  
  
"So once they are developed, breasts serve the purpose of …," Miss Trinket's voice brought her back to the present.  
  
"Oh god, breasts," Katniss thought to herself. She glanced at Delly who had informed her and Peeta two days before that she had to get a larger size "training bra." In spite of having two older brothers, and Katniss as his best friend, "training bras" were beyond his expertise and Peeta wrinkled his nose.  
  
"What are you training for?" Peeta asked innocently.   
  
Delly was shocked, and drew back from him as if slapped. "Peeta Mellark, sometimes you are such a … such a boy!" And she stalked off.  
  
Peeta looked at Katniss who shrugged her shoulders. To tell the truth, she didn't understand the need to train her chest to do anything. They mostly just sat there not yet in need of "training."  
  
"Breasts come in all shapes and sizes and there is not one 'perfect' breast," Miss Trinket smirked a little when she said this, and Katniss tuned her out, preferring to think of Thanksgiving coming up the following week and the pies she and Peeta would bake in a few days.    
  
Katniss would have gladly tuned out the rest of the lecture had it not been for the words, "menstrual cycle." She perked up then, assuming they were about to have a discussion about bicycles. As the lecture continued, Katniss was horrified to learn that her body would "slough off the lining of the uterus every twenty-eight days and bleed for three to seven days."   
  
She learned there would be cramping and fatigue, and something that sounded horrible called, "bloating." She learned that some of the other girls had already started their cycle, or period as Miss Trinket called it, and that it would be with her until middle-age and sometimes later.  
  
The other teacher then took over to explain about changes involving hair. She put a drawing on the overhead projector of a female, and then put on overlays showing where body hair would grow. Katniss wrinkled her nose when she saw pubic hair and realized that her mother was not the anomaly Katniss had thought her to be.  
  
"To sum it up, girls, you are on the cusp of womanhood. Every day brings you closer to being a woman. Any questions?" Miss Trinket smiled brightly and Katniss felt sick. In the span of an hour, her life had changed dramatically. How in the heck is bleeding every month a good thing? Awesome? Hardly.   
  
Katniss didn't want to get her period, and she wondered if boys had a similar problem. Other girls were asking questions about sanitary napkins versus something called tampons, but Katniss wanted to know what changes she could expect in Peeta. She was concerned that if she bled once a month, a boys fate might even be worse, and she felt sorry for Peeta.   
  
At first opportunity, her hand shot up. "Yes, Katniss?" The teacher's voice was kindly.  
  
"Do … do boys get periods?" A few girls giggled, but most looked expectantly at the teacher. It was her turn to fidget as she looked at Miss Trinket.  
  
"Well, Katniss, we are not here to discuss the boys," she said after nearly a minute.   
  
"Come on," Jo said, not bothering to raise her hand. "She asked a legit question. Do boys bleed out once a month or don't they?" Something in her, told Katniss that Jo already knew the answer but she was grateful that she pushed it.  
  
"Um …. well, no, they do not … have a period, although some … feel … that males do … have a monthly cycle, just not with the outer symptoms. So in answer to your question, no they don't have a period." The teacher's cheeks were crimson by this point.   
  
"Well, do they bloat and get cramps, and headaches and fatigue?" Jo pushed.  
  
"No, they don't have those symptoms either but their bodies are … changing too."  
  
"Right," Jo said, "they get bigger penises and the ability to knock up some girl, and girls get to deal with the monthly nightmare and the crying baby." She was nothing if not blunt, and Katniss cringed but still, there was a certain unfairness about it.  
  
"JoHanna Mason, I will not tolerate such an outburst. Where are your manners?" Miss Trinket scolded shrilly. The other girls snickered, but Katniss felt nauseous. The lecture ended and little packets of "goodies" were given to them with the instruction to put them in their backpacks.   
  
Katniss made her way back to class and noticed Peeta sitting with flushed cheeks. Surely, whatever he heard could not be so bad as breast erupting from your chest and uninterrupted flow of blood once a month. She couldn't even look at him and instead asked Mr. Chaff for a pass to the nurse.  
  
Her mother arrived a short time later, and the nurse explained, "They had the 'talk' today and apparently, it caught her by surprise. You should maybe have a few words with her about the glorious time she will soon be facing." Katniss couldn't suppress a bitter laugh when she heard the words "glorious time."  
  
Jen knew that she should have had the talk with Katniss before this, but Katniss had always seemed so different.  "Well, she's a tomboy you know, and I guess I wasn't sure she was ready." The nurse murmured something else that Katniss couldn't quite catch just as they headed out the door.  
  
They walked in silence for several minutes. Katniss felt a little betrayed that her mother never warned her about her future.   
  
"Katniss?" She neither looked at her mom nor slowed her pace. "I know it was … quite shocking and I should have told you myself, but I wanted to keep you a little girl as long as possible. You're growing up too fast as it is, and I didn't want to rush you."  
  
Katniss could feel tears threatening, and she hated it and wondered whether it had something to do with the hormones that Miss Trinket mentioned. She wondered whether she would even make it home before that menstrual thing struck and she would bleed all over the place. Katniss knew for sure that she could never face Peeta again. What would he think of his best friend bleeding and growing breasts?  
  
"It's not fair, Mom," she spit out, and her mother looked at her in surprise. "Girls have periods, cramping, bloating and whole bunch of other stuff and … and … boys don't. They just get a free pass on everything." There it was, out in the open. Katniss was jealous of Peeta. She didn't want to sprout breasts and have periods, she just wanted to be normal like him.  
  
Her mother pointed toward the park and they walked in silence until they reached a picnic table. Her mother sighed. "I know, Katniss, it was a lot to take in today, and you're right it doesn't seem fair. Your body is changing, but so is Peeta's and you are both going to experience … the inconveniences of becoming an adult. It isn't the most pleasurable thing, and sometimes you are going to outright hate it."  
  
Katniss wondered whether there would be any assurance in her mother's words. "But the glorious part is that males and females are made differently for a reason. Someday, you might want to have a baby of your own and then you will be very happy that you have your period. I know I'm happy that I have mine because I have two beautiful girls that would not have been born without it."  
  
Her mother stopped talking and stroked her hair for a bit, and Katniss felt a little better knowing there was a reason for all of it. "I was thirteen when I got my period, so I'm guessing you still have some time before your's starts, and you haven't even started to develop yet, so breasts are still a ways away too.   
  
That was the assurance Katniss needed and she melted into her mother's arms. She could handle everything as long as it didn't start tomorrow "And don't be upset with Peeta, he can't help that he won't have periods, but I have a feeling he's going to be the type of guy that wants to help his girl out during her monthly, just like your dad helps me."  
  
Katniss knew deep down there was nothing Peeta wouldn't do for her and that was comforting.  
  
Her mother's words were true, and she was fourteen when her period finally came. Instead of dreading it, she was relieved once it arrived because most of the girls in her class had been menstruating for awhile. Also, true were her mother's words about Peeta. Upon hearing the news, Peeta had a brief moment of terror but then he offered her cheese buns as a remedy. Later, he would learn the benefits of carrying Pamprin in his pickup and even learned that she liked to cuddle under her favorite blanket during the initial day of her period. He was just that type of guy.


	7. The Dilemma

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hunger Games belong to Suzanne Collins.
> 
> Thanks for the feedback!

Peeta had been distracted all morning. He wasn't his usual self. Even at lunch he nearly forgot to share his brownie with her.  
  
By recess, he practically ignored her, and that seemed to piss her off. Best friends do not ignore one another, she thought angrily as he stood there blinking at her instead of answering her question, "Are you listening, Peeta?"  
  
Several moments passed and Katniss wasn't sure whether he had not heard her question or whether he deliberately was avoiding answering. Finally, "Fine, Peeta, I'm going to play with Delly and Jo-Jo since you don't seem to want to play today." With that, she stormed off leaving the still rapidly blinking Peeta in her wake.  
  
Peeta's eyes followed her across the playground but his feet remained firmly planted.  
  
Katniss decided not to spare him a glance until she reached the girls who were in the midst of squabbling over the rules again. It never seemed to matter which game they played, each always brought her own set of rules to the table.  
  
"No, Delly, you have to bring the string up and over, not down and around!!"  
  
"Jo, I know what I'm doing! If I bring it up and over then I will need to go down and through, and then my hands will be … all awkwardy and stuff."  
  
The girls stood at an impasse for several seconds with Delly's hands part way through the string maze. "Which is it, Katniss?" Jo gritted out.  
  
Katniss cast a disinterested glance at the duo's string maze and then reached forward to hook her pinky fingers through the strings and quickly made a few moves which neither Jo nor Delly could completely follow and ended with an intricate string maze leaving both of them in awe. "Now Delly, slip your hands inside and take it from me."  
  
Delly complied immediately, taking the string from Katniss and looking expectantly at her. Katniss was officially the string goddess in everyone's mind. Her father had taught her and Peeta the tricks with string and they had spent countless hours perfecting them and taking it to a level that impressed even her father. But today, Katniss was distracted and it was Peeta's fault.  
  
In truth, she was bored and the feeling was disconcerting. Katniss could say in honesty that she was never bored when Peeta was around. They always managed to find something to do or just talking with Peeta was always interesting. But ever since that morning, on their walk to school, Peeta had barely acknowledged her.  
  
She knew he wasn't mad at her because Peeta never got angry. Not even a little. She cast a glance in his direction again and noticed him staring at her with such a profound sadness that it took her breath away. Peeta was sad. Up close, she had failed to notice because she was too perturbed by his silence but from a distance it was unmistakable.  
  
Katniss huffed out a breath which appeared in front of her like a small puff of smoke. She turned on her heel and headed back toward him. Instead of her near constant query asking him if he was listening, she changed her tactic. "What's wrong, Peeta?"  
  
But before he could answer, Judy Glimmer arrived at their sides. "Sounds like we will be spending a lot of time together, Peet." Katniss narrowed her eyes at Judy. In her mind, Judy Glimmer was the female version of Dallas Marvel. "Can't wait! Too bad you won't have little Katniss here to play with. You'll just have me. We'll have to make our own fun and I know just how to do that!" She winked at Peeta, and smirked in Katniss's direction before moving away.  
  
Katniss could feel her ears burn with Judy's words and when she turned to face Peeta again, his face was crimson. He knew exactly the "fun" Judy had in mind. Everyone had heard how she had kissed Cato behind the coal heap down by the boiler room. And, if Cato was to be believed, she had even shoved her hand into his pants. For some reason, Peeta believed him. It was probably the countless bedtime stories he had overheard JJ telling Derrick about the activities he and his girlfriend were doing together.  
  
Peeta was certain he wasn't ready for any of Judy's fun, and equally as certain that if any girl was ever to be in that close of proximity to him, it would be Katniss.  
  
"What, exactly, did she mean by that?" Katniss tried to keep the emotion out of her voice.  
  
"Uh … you know my brother, JJ?" Katniss nodded in spite of the fact that it was largely a rhetorical question. "Well, he and Judy's sister, Allie, have been going steady now for awhile." Katniss nodded again because she was well aware of the fact that JJ's girlfriend was none other than the blonde nightmare. "Well, JJ and Allie are pre- … uh … pre-gaged."  
  
"Pre-engaged?"  
  
"Yeah, and uh … last night at dinner, Mother said that Judy's parents invited our family to a ski vacation over Christmas. Ten days." Peeta's voice cracked and it sounded as if he was about to cry.  
  
As for herself, Katniss felt tears welling in her own eyes. They had plans. Christmas would be the first time in months where they would get to spend prolonged time together. Sure, Thanksgiving was in two days, and Peeta would be staying with them for four days straight but it paled in comparison with ten full days.  
  
"So your whole family is going?" Katniss choked out.  
  
"No, my dad is staying behind to manage the bakery. Christmas is one of the biggest times of the year for us."  
  
"Then you should ask to stay back and help him." In Katniss's mind, it was settled, but Peeta shook his head.  
  
"I wish but Derrick beat me to it and Dad turned him down. He said it would be more fun for him to go on the trip. I asked Dad this morning and he said that he thought I would have fun and he was sure Mom would be on her best behavior."  
  
They both knew what that meant for Peeta. Cynthia Mellark would likely be fine to Peeta in front of the Glimmers but nasty behind closed doors. It was as "best" as her behavior could be.  
  
Suddenly, all their Christmas plans evaporated. In spite of the fact that Christmas was a family holiday, Peeta had spent it with the Everdeens since he was six. He was included in Christmas baking and gift giving, right alongside the two biological Everdeen daughters. The plans were many and did not just include Christmas. They had planned to go sliding on the big hill and cross country skiing to the lake. They had planned to build a snow fort and make ice cream. They had planned … . Peeta's voice interrupted her thoughts.  
  
"My dad says I can't ask your folks to stay cause he doesn't want me intruding."  
  
"Intruding!" Katniss was indignant. "You're not an intruder. You're family, Peeta. Why would your dad say that?"  
  
Peeta shrugged. In his heart he feared that the Everdeens were growing tired of him. He was, after all, on their doorstep every chance he got. Maybe they talked to his dad and told him that he should spend more time at home.  
  
"That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. You are not an intruder, Peeta Mellark. You're like a …," but she hesitated. He was so not like a brother to her. In fact, he was so much more but not a brother because she couldn't imagine sharing secrets with a brother or wanting to hold his hand … but she stopped herself. Not a brother. "You're my best friend in the world, Peeta, and my parents love you. You are not an intruder," she finished emphatically.  
  
"Thanks," he smiled shyly. He knew that she nearly called him a brother but was glad she pulled back. His brothers were mean and sometimes nasty, and he much preferred being a best friend to being a brother to Katniss.  
  
"So, if we invite you then you can stay." Peeta shrugged, unsure.  
  
"Mother said we need to be there for appearances."  
  
"Is Thanksgiving still on?" Katniss asked timidly.  
  
Peeta quickly nodded. "Mother is taking Derrick and JJ to her parents for the holiday. I have to help Dad out at the bakery on Friday, but he said I can get off at noon." Katniss nodded. No doubt Mr. Mellark would be joining them again this year for Thanksgiving.  
  
The whistle blew and they headed back inside. It was Katniss's turn to be distracted as she puzzled out how Peeta could stay behind over Christmas, but she kept coming up blank.  
  
After school, she and Peeta walked to the elementary and met Primmy before Peeta headed to the bakery for his shift. "Don't worry, Peety, we'll figure this out."  
  
Peeta nodded and bit his lip. "Okay," he whispered. "Have a nice night!" His voice sounded anything but happy.  
  
"You too," Katniss said. She knew that Peeta loved working at the bakery with his father. She also knew that he was closing in on his father's talent for decorating and his turkey cupcakes were a big hit. Peeta created each of the turkey heads that adorned the top of the cupcakes by carefully molding the frosting and then painting it. They were goofy cartoon-like renditions but they were masterpieces that flew off the bakery shelves.  
  
At first, his mother had objected to the fanciful cupcakes wanting the ones with the sugar decorations of leaves and turkeys instead. But Mr. Mellark had posted a hefty price tag of $1.25 each that first morning, and who should come in to buy the whole dozen but Mrs. Undersee, the mayor's wife. That was two weeks ago, and since that time, the cupcakes had been their best seller.  
  
JJ tried to emulate them. Derrick tried to copy them. Even Mr. Mellark threw his hat in the ring, only to discover that the cupcakes required Peeta's creative touch because the "cupcake rip-offs" merely sat on the shelf untouched. Disappointed customers would turn away as if confronted with an atrocity.    
  
So lately, Peeta's shift was compromised solely of crafting the sought-after cupcakes. He had it down to a science and could create thirty-six of the little gems in his two-and-a-half hour shift.  
  
"Hey, I'll bring you each a cupcake tomorrow." Prim squealed. She, in fact, did view Peeta as a brother. The best big brother in the world. Both Prim and Katniss knew that the cupcakes he brought them would be even better than those placed on the shelf for sale. He started off in the opposite direction, and Katniss took Prim's hand to lead her home.  
  
Once home, Katniss attempted to concentrate on her homework but her mind kept going to Peeta and his dilemma. Well, their dilemma because she firmly believed it was as much her problem as his.  
  
At supper that night, she toyed with her food unable to focus on the meal in front of her.  
  
"Kit Kat," her father's voice reached her. "Sweetie, what's wrong?"  
  
If anyone would understand, it would be her father. "Daddy, Peety told me today that he has to spend Christmas with the Glimmers on a skiing trip." Blake looked across the table at Jen, who looked to her plate.  
  
"I … uh … know, Kit Kat. I talked to John today at the bakery."  He glanced away from his little girl's face which had taken on a pleading look. "Kit, I wish it could be different, but his mother is insisting that all the children join her."  
  
"But Daddy, you know how she is." Katniss rarely cried. She rarely begged but Peeta was her achilles heel. She would do anything for him.  
  
"Sweetie, there's nothing we can do. It's family business." Katniss pulled back in shock at his words. Peeta was family. How could it not be their business. Blake read her expression immediately, "Sweetie, that's not what … ." But she was already out of her chair, running up the stairs.  
  
She slammed the door behind her and leaped for her bunk, pulling herself up. Katniss had long ago abandoned the ladder. She burrowed under the covers and allowed herself to sob. She didn't want to think about what her father meant by his words. She pushed Peeta's words about intruding from her mind.  
  
Eventually, she heard the soft click of her door opening. Katniss held her breath attempting to quell her hiccups.  
  
"Kitty, I didn't mean that Peeta isn't family to us but we have to remember he's got his biological family too. We get to have Peeta for so many things and … ."  
  
"No Daddy, it's not that way and you know it. She only wants Peeta there so that she looks like a great mother which she isn't. Peeta won't have any fun. Not with Judy Glimmer and his mother there."  
  
Realization hit Blake. Katniss was experiencing not only regret for her friend, but a bit of the green-eyed monster as well. Still, she had valid points. "Well, let's think about it, okay? Maybe we can come up with something. Now go downstairs and finish your supper, and then get ready for bed. We'll figure this out."  
  
His words were like a tonic to her. If anyone could figure this out, it would be her father. She leapt out of bed and headed downstairs with a lighter heart.  
  
Peeta would manage to spend Christmas with the Everdeens but it was an unfortunate set of circumstances that allowed him to do so.  
  



	8. The Parents - Thanksgiving

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An outtake from "The Parents".
> 
> Thanks for reading

Blake looked at the odd little group gathered around his dining room table awaiting their Thanksgiving meal.  
  
His eyes first sought out his wife, Jen. Married for fourteen years, he still felt in awe of the fact that she was his and he was hers. She still managed to steal his breath away with a mere smile. Jen must have felt his eyes on her because she looked up suddenly and caught him openly staring, which in turn caused her to smile and his heart to stutter — just a little.  
  
On her left was little Primmy, the picture of her mother. Already six almost seven, Primmy was the chatterbox in the family and could talk everyone's ear right off. She was speaking now, gesturing wildly and giggling. He smiled in spite of the fact that he couldn't quite make out what she was saying.  
  
Next to Primmy was Katniss, who listened with rapt attention to her little sister. Since the day Primmy was born, Katniss had been the protective older sister. Blake knew that Katniss loved Primmy more than almost anyone else. She was his dark-haired angel and he felt a tug in his chest. When she was small, Jen called Kit Kat his shadow. Her olive skin and gray eyes left no room for doubt as to her heritage. Thanks to his Italian mother and Irish father, Blake had passed on his skin tone and eye color to his oldest.  
  
His eyes drifted to Peeta who sat next to Katniss. Somehow the little boy had managed to temporarily tame the mop of blonde curls on his head and Blake wondered whether hair gel would be a permanent part of his grooming from this point forward. Peeta's blue eyes sparkled as he listened to the conversation between Katniss and Prim.  Blake thought back to his first meeting with the shy little boy. At the time, he was fairly plump and his blonde hair appeared almost like cotton. In five years, his hair at darkened somewhat, and he had lost most of his baby fat but he had not lost his sweet good nature.  
  
A loud belch pulled Blake's eyes across the table to Haymitch Abernathy. Happenstance had brought the football coach to their table. Blake appreciated and respected the man who other's barely tolerated. Some years before, Abernathy lost his wife and daughter in a car accident. After that, he started drinking. Because the town was small, everyone knew about his problem but instead of offering him shoulders to lean on, they decided instead to talk.  
  
Two nights before, Blake met the coach shopping in the soup aisle and decided then and there to extend an invitation which the older man seemed to jump at. There was always plenty of food around the Everdeen table.  
  
Next to the coach was John Mellark, Peeta's father. A dozen years earlier, hell six years earlier, if someone would have mentioned to Blake that John would one day eat at his table, he would have laughed at them. There was once a time when John held the heart of Jen but foolishness caused him to lose it. Still, Blake would have bristled at having a former rival in such close proximity to his wife. But John had never been anything but friendly. If he regretted losing Jen, he kept it to himself. John was handsome, and just as anyone could tell that Blake and Katniss were father and daughter, it was equally apparent that John and Peeta were father and son.  
  
"Blake," Jen's quiet voice pulled him from his reverie.  
  
He cleared his throat, causing silence to wash across the table. "We have a little tradition here at our Thanksgiving table and that is to say what we are thankful for." Haymitch stirred in his seat self-consciously. "We'll start with Primmy."  
  
Prim sat up straighter, "I'm thankful for a lot. I'm thankful for my best friend, Rue. I'm thankful for my new kitten, Buttercup. I'm thankful that I got new boots for winter. But most of all, I'm thankful for my family, expecially Katniss and Peeta." Blake nodded and noticed that the boy's cheeks were pink. "Because Peeta brings us delicious cupcakes," Prim finished.  
  
"Kit Kat?"  
  
Katniss cleared her throat. She wasn't the public speaker that her little sister was but she forged ahead. "I'm thankful for you Dad, and the things we get to do together. I'm thankful for you, Mom, and the way you keep everything together. I'm thankful for you, Prim, for being such a great little sister." Prim smiled widely. Katniss turned to Peeta, "I'm thankful for you, Peeta and everything you do for me and being the best friend in the world."  
  
Peeta quickly enveloped her in a hug causing Coach Abernathy to clear his throat. "Hey, no hugging between my star quarterback and my star running back." Everyone laughed.

Without prompting, Peeta began, "I'm thankful for you, Dad, and my job at the bakery. And I'm thankful to Mom and Blake," Peeta's use of the word "Mom" was not lost on John but he refused to react, "for allowing me to spend so much time here. I'm thankful for Primmy who is just like my little sister. But mostly, I'm thankful for you Katniss, for being my very best friend in the world." She quickly returned Peeta's hug much to the exasperation of Haymitch.  
  
"John?"  
  
"I'm thankful for your family, Blake, who has done so much better by my Peeta than I could have done."  
  
Blake nodded and smiled reassuringly. "Coach?"  
  
"Well … I … uh … I'm thankful that my fifth grade team had a better season than the varsity team," Katniss and Peeta grinned at him. "And, I'm thankful to be here with you folks and not alone again this year." He raised his glass to them.  
  
Blake hesitated a moment before nodding to Jen. "I'm thankful for our children, Primmy, Katniss and, of course, Peeta. All three of you make my days brighter. I'm thankful for such a wonderful husband, and I'm thankful for good friends to share our table."  
  
It was Blake's turn, and he looked around the table before beginning. "Well, it may be cliche´but I'm mostly thankful for my family. My wife Jen, who is a perfect homemaker and my wife of fourteen years. My big girl, Katniss, who shows strength and leadership that I envy. My baby girl, Primmy, who reminds me more and more of her mama with each passing day. And, I can't forget Peeta, whose quiet calm evens the balance in a household of mostly women-folk." He winked in Jen's direction. "I'm thankful for the friends who have joined us, especially you John, because you have selflessly shared your boy with us. I am also thankful for a good job in a fine office, where I push paper instead of coal."  
  
As he finished his list, Blake raised his glass and the others followed suit and took a drink of the cranberry juice that filled each.  
  
"Whewee!" Haymitch exclaimed. "Now that's got some kick to it!" Everyone laughed.  
  
Blake reached for the turkey and began to carve. A drumstick each for Katniss and Peeta. Prim preferred just a bit of the dark meat, while all the adults preferred white meat. The potatoes and stuffing were passed from one to another, along with two kinds of vegetables and gravy. John had supplied fresh dinner rolls and pie.  
  
There were moments when Blake felt his fortune too great. He remembered that food was not always plentiful when he and Jen first married. Their first Thanksgiving was so much different. That year they had a hamburger patty and macaroni, but it had been good and full of promise. After awhile, everyone settled in and ate, the sounds of knives and forks filling the air. Eventually, everyone was as stuffed as the turkey had been fresh out of the oven.  
  
Blake pushed back from the table slightly and rubbed his still flat belly indulgently. "Before we have our pie, why don't we let our meal settle. You folks go into the living room and visit, while I clean the table off." Everyone but John headed for the living room. "Now, John, you are our guest, I can't let you help with the dishes."  
  
"Nonsense, Blake, I always do the dishes at home. Wouldn't seem right if I didn't help out here."  
  
Blake was also accustomed to doing the dishes, but the main difference was that Jen usually did the cooking. From what Peeta said, John was usually the maker of the meals in his home. Today, though, he shrugged it off and allowed John to pitch in and help because the amount of dishes was a little overwhelming.  
  
After several minutes of working in comfortable silence, John spoke up. "I've been meaning to talk to you Blake, about Peeta." Blake nodded and continued to scrape the remains of the potatoes into a tupperware container. "I feel like I've taken advantage of you and Jen, and I don't want Peeta to become a bur … ."  
  
"Whoa, hold on there," Blake interrupted as he looked him full in the eye. "Peeta is nothing but welcome here. He always has been and always will be."  
  
"People have started to talk about how close he and Katniss are," John whispered. "It got back to Cynthia and she's all pissy about the amount of time he spends here."  
  
"Well, I don't give a rat's … butt about the talk, John. But is that why Peeta has to go on the skiing trip." John nodded. "No offense to you, but it seems like a hell of a wrong time for her to suddenly try for Mother of the Year honors. I don't trust her with Peeta. Not for ten days. Not on ski slopes."  
  
"I know. I wasn't explicitly invited but I'm thinking about closing the bakery early and going with them. I would feel more comfortable being there for Peeta's sake."  
  
"What do you mean, you weren't 'explicitly invited'?"  
  
"Just that. Cynthia told me I wasn't 'explicitly invited' just her and the boys. But still, who would really fault a man for wanting to spend time with his family? I mean usually we have at least Christmas together."  
  
Blake thought back to the past few years. Peeta had spent Thanksgiving with him since first grade. That same year has also started his Christmas pattern. Peeta arrived Christmas Eve and took part in the traditional one gift exchange, and then he would stay overnight and get up with Katniss and Prim for the remaining gifts. Just before noon he would go home for dinner and gift opening. By late afternoon he was back again usually with a practical gift like mittens and a hat. Last year, he had been really excited to receive a set of decorating tools from his parents.  
  
The other two boys always received a lot of presents ranging from new clothes to video games. Peeta was so accustomed to his lack of gifts that he seemed unbothered as he would recount their presents. "Derek got a cool Super Nintendo set with some games."  Blake had wondered how John could allow the favoritism to go unchecked.  
  
As if he could feel the judgement, John cleared his throat. "I used to try to balance it out for Peeta, buy him some extras but it was impossible without making things worse. Then he started coming here, and I could give him things with your help." True, John always contributed generously for all three children.  
  
"Well, I'm going to miss the little guy this year," Blake conceded, "and Katniss may do physical harm if something happens, just so you know."  
  
John laughed heartily at his words, "She's a bit protective that one."  
  
"A bit," Blake concurred.  
  
As if on cue, Katniss popped her head in, "Daddy is it okay if Peety and I go outside and build a snowman before pie?"  
  
He nodded, "Bundle up though Kit Kat, it's colder than it looks and see if Primmy wants to go out too."  She nodded and quickly left the room.  
  
For several moments, their excited voices could be heard as they dressed in their winter gear. The sound of the front door slamming signaled their exit. Soon the trio reappeared in the back yard where they stood in a small huddle discussing the project. To an unpracticed eye, Katniss would have looked like the odd person out with her dark brown braids hanging loose beneath her knit hat.  
  
It took Blake a moment to realize that John was standing at his shoulder with a look of awe on his face. "They're something else, aren't they?"  
  
John smiled, "They are indeed. I know they're just kids but I get the feeling that somehow, they were … made for each other."  
  
"I know," Blake laughed. "Did you know that when Peeta was five he asked my permission to marry her? Not right away, of course, but he was dead serious."  
  
"Huh! Well, here's hoping he has more brains than his old man." Blake knew, of course, that John was talking about his relationship with Jen.  
  
"Everything happens for a reason."  
  
"Yes it does," John agreed, as he continued to watch the children.  
  
Eventually, the dishes were done and the children were back inside. Pie was served and Haymitch regaled them with stories of his youth taking care to mind his language around his young audience. They heard about his days chasing raccoons through the trees in his native Tennessee, and about his days as a young football star in high school and later in college. Both children and adults were enraptured by his tales.  
  
Haymitch left just before seven with a wave goodbye, "Got to go see the wife and girl before it gets too late."  
  
"Isn't his wife dead?" Peeta asked as the door shut.  
  
"He's probably going to … the cemetery," Katniss answered in a whisper, just before goosing his ribs causing him to jump.  
  
"Hey!" Peeta said, before grinning broadly at her. "Do people always go to the cemetery to visit someone who dies?"  
  
"I would never go," Katniss said emphatically. "Not to a cemetery. No way." But little did she know that over the course of the next several years, she would spend countless hours at the cemetery.  
  
"That's enough children. You're scaring Primmy. Go upstairs and get ready for bed and you can spend the evening watching the Thanksgiving Day specials while I get supper ready.  
  
The children clamored upstairs and soon returned — Primmy with her jammies with feet in them, and Katniss and Peeta wearing their matching Buzz Lightyear pajamas. Neither would ever admit to their friends at school that they wore Toy Story pajamas, much less matching ones but they did, and they liked it.  
  
Jen placed the "pickings" as she called them on the table for everyone to help themselves. The children laid on their bellies in front of the television with their plates in front of them as they watched "A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving" followed by "A Charlie Brown Christmas."  
  
Primmy was the first to go down. Peeta was yawning deeply and Katniss's eyes were drooping. It had been a long day as they had gotten up well before the parade so that they wouldn't miss anything. Peeta laid is head on his arms while Katniss blinked furiously trying to stay awake. But she too had her limits, and her head drooped after only a few minutes.  
  
Blake and Jen moved to take the children upstairs. "May I help?" John whispered. Jen looked to Blake who offered a small nod. John reached down to pick up his sleeping son, while Blake stooped to pick up Katniss, and Jen cradled the sleeping Prim.  
  
Upstairs, Katniss and Prim no longer shared a room so Jen continued down the hall to her room, while John and Blake entered Katniss's room. Blake gingerly lifted her over the railing to the top bunk while John placed Peeta in the lower bunk. Both children readjusted themselves under the cool blankets but neither awakened.  
  
The men quietly backed out of the room and headed back downstairs. "Thanks for having me," John extended his hand.  
  
"Anytime, and let's get this Christmas thing figured out. If you need someone to watch the bakery for you, I'm sure Jen and Katniss would help out."  
  
John nodded and gave Blake a cheerful smile. "I appreciate that and I'll keep it in mind. Good night."  
  
As the door closed, Jen arrived at Blake's side and he wrapped his arm around her. "Appreciate what?"  
  
"I sort of volunteered you and Katniss to help out at the bakery at Christmastime so that John could go on the skiing trip."  
  
"Ah, I see. Well, I'll do anything to help out."  
  
"That's my girl," he kissed her gently. "You know what, Mrs. Everdeen?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"I'm mostly thankful for you." He kissed her a bit more deeply as she laughed lightly.  
  
"Hmmm. You say that now," she teased.  
  
"I'll say it again and again. As long as you let me." With that, he swept her into his arms and carried her upstairs as she giggled.


	9. The Parents - The Incident

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "The Parents" Outtake.

The debate would rage on for months in the coffee shops around the small town as to what really happened that snowy December afternoon. The residents were about evenly split as to the culpability of Cynthia Mellark. Everyone seemed to know someone who witnessed the incident and would add their own "details" to the mix.  
  
"I heard that she grabbed him by his hood and just shoved," said one man with coal dust under his fingernails.  
  
"Well, that's not true, Ben. The boy was wearing a hoodless jacket and she wrapped both arms around him to keep … ."  
  
"Hell, Rosy," yet another person weighed in. "Have you ever seen the way she treats that boy? If he didn't look so much like his damn father, you'd think he was adopted. He's like a male version of Cinderella. Cinderfella." He laughed at his own joke. "Top it off, won't you Rosy?"  
  
So the debate went on endlessly although never within earshot of one of the Mellarks. Whenever one of them came into a room, the whispers would die on the lips. Really though, it was impossible for all those so-called witnesses to have some hidden pieces of information because the one thing the five principals agreed on was the fact that the street was mostly vacant except for themselves. The rest, unfortunately, was as murky as a puddle after a summer rain.  
  
The morning of the incident saw an unusually high volume of customers enter Mellark's Bakery at the end of Main Street. Everyone was in a near-panic to make sure their orders got in for the Holidays after a small advertisement ran in the top corner of the back page of the local paper indicating that Mellark's would cut off orders the following Monday for the Holidays. All orders would be completed on December 23, and the Bakery would be closed through January 1.  
  
John Mellark had failed to tell Cynthia of his plans, and that was an irritation under the best circumstances but this close to the Holidays seemed like outright defiance to her. December was one of the busiest months of the year and cutting off sales one day early and then closing for more than a week seemed ridiculously hair-brained.  
  
She had railed at John for the next two days, yet somehow the announcement had worked to their benefit and more orders than ever before poured in. By Saturday, the line extended around the interior of the bakery and out the door, part way down the block. All five Mellarks were in the front handling customers.  
  
John posted signs around to assist the customers. JJ and Cynthia were in charge of regular customers interested in making immediate purchases. Derrick was in charge of Christmas cookies and confections. John handled sweet breads, rolls and other pastries, while ten-year-old Peeta was in charge of specialty decorations.  
  
His 3-D cupcakes were still a hit. He was currently specializing in Snowman cupcakes featuring dollops of white frosting, appropriately decorated with silly hats and scarves. He had even managed to create twig like arms for his creations. He also had a Santa cupcake with his cartoon-like Santa sitting atop a red velvet cupcake. Once Cynthia realized the boon to the business that Peeta was, she began treating him somewhat better. No one was fooled, however, least of all Peeta who understood that his three dollar cupcakes were at the heart of her improved behavior.  
  
"Yes, ma'am," Peeta answered politely as he sat with his small sketchpad in front of him drawing small angels, "all white with yellow hair and blue eyes." The woman absolutely beamed at the little boy's drawing.   
  
"That's it. Perfect! I'll take one dozen."  
  
"Okay," Peeta began writing out the slip. "The total is $36. We require fifty percent in advance." She nodded quickly and fished out a twenty from her purse and handed it to him. He quickly made change for her, handing it back with a crooked smile. "Thank you very much. You have a nice day."  
  
John watched him interact with the customers and realized he was a natural. JJ was stiff and formal, much like his mother. Derrick often seemed bored with his role, but Peeta always offered the perfect mix of warmth and enthusiasm.   
  
The bakery usually closed at noon on Saturday, but the crowd never let up. Even when the shelves had been emptied of even the day-old breads and pastries, people continued to walk in and John could sense that, for the first time in years, the bakery was going to set a December record. Not just set, but blow it out of the water!  
  
Once Cynthia and JJ began taking orders things went much quicker. At half past one, John made his way to the end of the line and placed the closed sign on the door and locked it, explaining to those remaining that they could still exit unimpeded but requested they pull the door shut upon leaving.  
  
By two o'clock, the bakery was empty and a grumbling JJ began to sweep the front before Derrick came behind with a mop. Both boys had plans with their girlfriends and they were already late. John began tallying up the orders for the day while Cynthia cleared the cash register. Peeta went to the back to begin cleanup because he too had plans with his girl.   
  
Ironically, the years would prove that Peeta's relationship was the only one that would last the test of time. Yet, JJ and Derrick both felt that theirs was much stronger than their kid brother's crush.  
  
"Mom, am I done yet?" JJ called out. Cynthia held up a finger as she counted the pennies. Finally, "Yes, JJ, you may leave and give your little girlfriend our love."   
  
JJ rolled his eyes but managed, "Of course, Mother, and I'll tell her how much you are looking forward to the skiing trip." With that, he was out the door.  
  
"Mom? May I leave?" Derrick asked, but she had only just started on his cash box. Cynthia counted and recounted, a frown deepening. Derrick fidgeted by the door knowing that the frown meant nothing good. After several minutes she made a notation and set it aside, taking John's box which tallied perfectly between orders and cash.  
  
Peeta finished up in the back and came out front to watch as his mother finished counting his box. His stack of slips was huge in comparison. A slight smile formed on her face as Peeta's box alone accounted for nearly one thousand dollars in pre-sales. His box tallied perfectly to the penny.  
  
"Mother, may I go now?" Peeta asked timidly, still uncertain as to who this woman was that was treating him much differently than even two weeks ago.  
  
She didn't bother to look but merely nodded, as she returned her attention to Derrick's box. Peeta hurried to the back to get his jacket and pulled the back door open when he noticed that there was a small package just outside. He picked it up and saw his mother's name, so he decided to bring it to the front.  
  
"Derrick?" He heard his mother's raised voice, and that should have been warning enough. "Your box is short by eight dollars."  
  
"What?" Derrick seemed surprised. Peeta was none too shocked because making change was still far beyond his particular skill set. "That can't be."  
  
"Well, it is. I've counted three times, and each time I'm short by eight dollars." Peeta moved forward quickly and placed the small box on the counter before heading for the door. Cynthia glanced down quickly and a blush crept up her cheeks. "Peeta, where did you get this?" She called, her voice taking on an all too familiar menacing tone.  
  
"It was by the back door," Peeta called as he reached for the front door. She narrowed her eyes at her youngest, and Derrick noted the shift.  
  
"Mom, I had to leave my box with Peeta for a couple of minutes while I peed and he probably took the money from my box."  
  
"That's a lie!" Peeta spat and reached out to shove his older brother who was a head taller but unprepared for the assault and tumbled backward.  
  
"Is that true?" Cynthia said as she came out from behind the counter.  
  
"Cynthia, I don't think Peeta took the money. It's only eight dollars," John tried to ease the tension.  
  
"Shut. Up. Empty your pockets, Peeta," she hissed, and Peeta complied quickly emptying two pieces of bubble gum, a dog-eared note, a tiny pencil and the remnants of a sucker from his jeans before he turned the pocket lining out. "Back pockets," she demanded and he slipped his hand in and pulled out the small leather wallet Katniss had given him for his birthday.  
  
Cynthia reached for it and pulled it open revealing a single one dollar bill inside and a few random pieces of paper. "Ah-huh!" Cynthia exclaimed in triumph as she pulled out the dollar. "Where's the rest of it?"  
  
"That's my allowance for helping out at the bakery." John actually gave Peeta much more but the dollar was all Cynthia allowed so he never carried the rest in his wallet unless he was treating Katniss and Prim to ice cream or something. Instead, his savings safely rested in a piggy bank atop Katniss's dresser. The money would come in handy in the not too distant future.  
  
"Allowance, my ass, you probably spent that all on candy and gum you little twit."   
  
"No, I … ."  
  
"That's enough, Cynthia," John said. "Leave the boy alone."  
  
"Oh, precious Peeta," her tone was mocking. "'Leave the boy alone!' You stay out of this you worthless piece of … ."  
  
"Enough!" John bellowed as he pulled Peeta's wallet from her and handed it back to him. "Pick that up and go ahead, Peeta. Have a nice time."  
  
Peeta quickly grabbed for his stuff on the table and reached for the door as his mother turned her attention to his father. He could hear her voice low and menacing. "Don't ever do that to me again, John Mellark."  
  
The door closed and Peeta stepped on the sidewalk and headed to the crosswalk where he punched the button and waited for the signal to walk. Just then, Cynthia emerged from the bakery yelling at Peeta to return. He glanced quickly at her and then back to the light which was taking an eternity to turn.  
  
What happened next defied logic. The driver of the car swore that Peeta seemed to fall into the street and that his mother was attempting to drag him back to the curb.  
  
Mrs. Cartwright, however, who was arranging a new window display, firmly believed that Cynthia pushed Peeta into the street.   
  
The old woman across the street confirmed that she hardly had a birdseye view of things, but also told Officer Cray that the woman was yelling something at the little boy before he tumbled from the curb into the path of the oncoming car.  
  
Cynthia, of course, denied all wrong doing and affirmed that she was simply trying to keep Peeta from hurting himself. "He's a clumsy child," she explained to Cray, even as the ambulance attendants lifted his small form to the waiting gurney.  
  
As for Peeta, he would never admit what he thought happened, preferring instead to take the safer course and deny any recall. But he did remember. He remembered the jolt of his mother's hand between his shoulder blades which sent him into the intersection. There was no squealing of tires, and thankfully, the car was driving slowly because of the icy conditions. There was only pain. Sharp pain.


	10. The Aftermath

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hunger Games characters belong to Suzanne Collins.

Katniss paced the length of the tiny waiting room, stopping in front of the painting of the sad-faced clown. "What brainiac decided this was a good picture to hang in a waiting room?" she wondered to herself.

For several more minutes, she studied the details of the painting, memorizing the various hues of his black suit and the overly large tie. Katniss was forcing herself to think about anything other than Peety, who was, at that moment, in surgery.

Upon arriving at the hospital, John Mellark's first call had been the Everdeen house. He knew that the family was awaiting the arrival of Peeta in order to go to the woods and select a Christmas tree. As Blake answered, John found himself tongue-tied.

"Uh …. ummmmm," John began as his mind searched for the appropriate words.

"John? What's wrong? Is something wrong?" Blake could sense that something was amiss as John managed only a grunt in return. Later, John would realize he was partly in shock at the sight of his little boy laying in the street, the slushy snow turning a bright red around him.

"Is it Peeta?" Blake asked urgently, and that caught the attention of Katniss, who had been unusually restless for the past half-hour. She flew to his side and tugged on his shirt impatiently.

"Uh … ," was all that John could manage.

"Where are you?"

John finally managed to blurt out, "Hospital."

"Be right there," Blake answered as he hung up the phone. "We have to go," he looked at his wife whose eyes reflected concern. Katniss meanwhile already had her jacket on. "Maybe Kit Kat, you and Primmy should stay here."

"It's Peeta?" Katniss questioned, looking her father dead in the eye as he nodded. "I'm going with. He needs me." With those words, she headed out the door and flung herself into the back seat, already feeling the sting as tears formed.

A few minutes later, her parents and Prim joined her. Prim was dropped off at Rue's house, and the trio continued on to the hospital. It took several minutes to ascertain where John was and the fact that he was in the surgical waiting room was not lost on anyone.

Katniss peeked in and saw John sitting forlornly on a bright red chair, his head in his hands. Derrick was next to him with a blank look in his eyes. She sighed heavily causing the pair to look up. Katniss did not like either of Peeta's older brothers but she hated Derrick less than she hated JJ.

John finally found his words. "There … there was an … accident. Peeta was crossing the street and somehow … slipped off the curb and into the path of a car." Katniss gasped. That was so not, Peeta. He was always the careful one, standing far from the street until it was time to cross. He always looked in both directions. Always. There was just no way in Katniss's mind that Peeta would have been careless enough to stand close enough to the street to slip into the path of an oncoming vehicle.

Blake and Jen found a chair but Katniss remained standing, waiting for the real explanation which she was already piecing together in her ten-year-old mind. Mrs. Mellark wasn't there which was a telltale sign that something was amiss. Even Mrs. Mellark was smart enough to know that she should be present when her son was in surgery or she would become the talk of the town.

John shifted under her gaze. He couldn't bring himself to look at the little girl. Finally, Katniss spoke, "Where is she? His mom?"

He hesitated a moment before answering. "She's at the police station answering some questions." John hoped it was innocuous enough.

"Did she have something to do with it?"

Blake drew in a breath and was about to scold Katniss because he had accepted John's story at face value. The sidewalks and roads were slippery. But then he saw the way John was looking at his little girl and Blake knew in that moment there was more to the story than originally suggested.

But it was Derrick who found his voice, "She was there. With Peeta. Standing behind him and … it was my fault," he began sobbing and Katniss was momentarily taken aback by the sight of the fourteen-year-old breaking down.

"John, can I see you a moment in the hall?" John moved to follow Blake out of the room. As he stepped by Katniss, he looked at her mournfully. She couldn't meet his eyes any longer.

"You're supposed to protect him," Katniss whispered as he passed, disappointment evident.

She could hear their whispered voices but couldn't make out what they were saying — only the tones. John sounded like he was begging for understanding. Blake's tone was angry but subdued. Tension filled the room when they reentered. That was when Katniss started to pace.

It had been more than two hours The television in the corner of the room was blaring the final minutes of a college football game. Derrick had taken an interest but Katniss barely noticed the orange and white jerseys of hers and Peeta's favorite team.

A doctor appeared in the doorway, "Mr. Mellark? A moment?" He gestured to the hallway, but John shook his head.

"You can tell me here."

The doctor looked doubtful until he realized that everyone in the room had fixed him with concerned gazes. He cleared his throat. "Peeta suffered multiple injuries. A concussion, three fractured ribs on his left side, severe bruising to left forearm, and multiple other cuts and contusions. But I'm afraid it's his leg that got the worst of it. As you know, he had a compound fracture and while the break was relatively clean, we did have to use screws to bring the pieces together. ..."

Katniss gripped the arm of the nearest chair, no longer hearing the words of the doctor and fighting off the nausea. She could feel the heat rising within her and momentarily felt like she might pass out but then she pushed it back. She had to be strong for Peeta.

"He's in recovery right now. We'll be moving him to ICU in just a bit. We want to monitor him closely for the next few days. I can't say for certain, but I think he will make a full recovery. The nurse will be along in a few minutes to bring you back." After delivering the shattering news, the doctor left without further comment.

John slumped into the chair. The doctor's prognosis had been mostly positive but he had laced his words with cautionary warnings about some possible complications.

Everyone was lost in thought when the nurse arrived and summoned John. Katniss was quickly by his side. "Are you his sister?" Katniss shook her head indignantly.

"I'm his best friend."

"I'm sorry, but immediate family only and no one under the age of twelve allowed. We have … ."

John broke in. He had to do it for Peeta. If he knew one thing about his son, the only person who he would want to see right now was Katniss. "She has to come in," John started and the nurse was about to interrupt when he continued. "She has to. Peeta needs her. It will be better medicine than anything you can give him right now."

The nurse looked between Katniss and John. "I'll speak with my supervisor." She left the room and returned a few minutes later with an older woman in tow who smiled kindly at Katniss.

"So, you're the little rebel, huh?" Katniss nodded, not sure she wanted to be identified as a rebel but the woman seemed to mean no harm. "Would you be 'Cat-nuss'?" She asked with a smile, and Katniss responded with a surprised nod. "Well, we had best get you into that boy. He's been asking for 'Cat-nuss' since he woke up. This way." She gestured to the hallway and they followed her silently.

"This is our intensive care unit. Peeta will be here for the next few days. I'm going to give you a special pass to come in," she said to Katniss as she pulled a pad of papers from the desk and scribbled something and handed it to Katniss.

"This way," she said again as they strode to a middle room with glass door. Katniss wasn't sure what she expected but she was fairly certain it wasn't the scene which greeted her. Tubes and machines were clustered around the left side of his bed. His leg was suspended in the air and she was shocked to see three of the tubes running into Peeta's arm.

She gathered the courage and looked at his face which was deathly pale. He had a black eye and a scrape on his cheek. Katniss sucked in her breath and willed the nausea away as she pushed a tiny footstool from the end of the bed and positioned it near the headboard. She stepped up lightly and leaned in to take a closer look.

"Peety?" Katniss said quietly, and he opened his eyes just a tiny slit before recognizing her and blinking furiously.

"Kat-nuss?" His voice sounded sleepy. "I had a … weird …," but he looked around and noticed his surroundings.

"A car hit you, Peeta," Katniss refused to refer to it as an accident. Even as the words left her mouth, Katniss crumpled unto his chest, sobbing. "I thought you were dead, Peeta. I thought you were dead. You can't ever do that again."

He raise a shaky hand and rubbed her back. "I won't," he whispered. "I won't." It took several minutes for Katniss to bring herself under control with Peeta doing a fair amount of comforting. Initially, the nurse had thought it might have been a bad idea, but no one missed the small smile that formed on the little boy's face as he rubbed her back soothingly. Katniss cared about him as much as he did her and that brought joy to his heart.

Eventually, the tears ceased and Katniss sniffled loudly. "When you get out of here, I'll take care of you. I'll never let something like this happen to you again." Peeta nodded. Neither of them realized then that Katniss's words were fairly prophetic and that she would take care of him upon his release.

After awhile, Blake and Jen were allowed in and Jen fussed over him as if he were her own. She fluffed his pillow and straightened his gown, and pulled the blankets a little higher. Jen touched his toes on the suspended leg and breathed a sigh that they were warm to the touch.

They visited for nearly an hour, and Peeta drifted in and out of sleep. Eventually, Derrick made his way in, his eyes wide and scared. "Hey, Peet."

"Hey," Peeta croaked, his voice sounded scratchy.

"Uh … here," Derrick held out a tightly folded piece of paper. "Read it when I go." Peeta nodded. Katniss eyed Derrick suspiciously but did not intervene. Whatever was written on the paper remained between the two brothers forever, as neither divulged to anyone what had been written on the paper.

Derrick stepped back and Katniss resumed her place by his bedside, holding his hand tightly. A nurse bustled in and made her way to one of his IV bags, checking the fluid level. In her hand she carried a syringe which she inserted into the plastic connector near his forearm. Almost immediately, Peeta's eyelids drooped.

"He's going to sleep eight or ten hours. I would suggest you all go and get some rest."

Reluctantly, they began filing out of his room. Katniss leaned down and gave him a brief hug before moving to the door. John remained rooted to his spot, "Blake would you mind dropping off Derrick?" Blake nodded his head and looked back at the small boy who was dwarfed by the size of the bed. He watched as John drew a chair up beside the bed and grabbed the hand Katniss had been holding moments before.

Katniss heard a sharp sob and moved to the doorway in time to see John shed his first tears of the day as he clung to Peeta's hand.


	11. Resting Comfortably

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Hunger Games characters belong to Suzanne Collins.

Katniss was up before the sun on Sunday morning. She had barely slept the previous night, missing Peeta's light snores from the bottom bunk. She padded down the hallway and tapped on her parent's door.  
  
"Daddy? Mom?" Katniss half whispered. It was the only day her father had to sleep in and she hoped he would understand. She tried again, "Daddy? Are you awake?" She heard the bed creak slightly and a few seconds later, the door opened to reveal her father standing in a robe. Instead of a mild rebuke, she encountered his gentle smile.  
  
"Couldn't sleep my girl?"  She shook her head. "Ready to go see that boy of yours?" Katniss blushed at his teasing but nodded anyway. "Well then, you can't go see him dressed like that," he indicated her pajamas, and she smiled again before hurrying away to her room.  
  
She pulled out her jeans, flannel shirt and sweater, and dressed hurriedly. Katniss released her braid and then combed her hair before re-braiding it. She had recently switched her usual two braids to one, feeling that it made her a bit more grown-up. After peering in the mirror for a few seconds, she released the braid once again, divided her hair and made two perfect braids on either side of her head. There was more than enough time in her mind to be grown up. Besides, Peeta had seemed disappointed when she initially made the change.  
  
Katniss raced downstairs and pulled on her jacket and boots. She rummaged until she found the matching hat and mittens. Then she sat down on the lowest step and waited. A few minutes later, her father descended. "No time for breakfast?" Blake asked with humor evident. Katniss shook her head.  
  
"Peeta needs me," she answered quietly.  
  
"Well, I'm guessing you're right about that," he said as he began pulling on his boots and jacket. "I'll warm up the truck."  
  
Katniss waited inside — a bit impatiently — until her father arrived to tell her that he was ready to go. She hurried to the truck and took her place. Everything reminded her of Peeta this cold, frosty morning and she had to swallow back the tears. Ordinarily, Peeta rode nearest the door and she in the middle alongside her father. But today, she was fastened in the far corner of the bench seat, and was looking out the window at the snow-covered landscape.  
  
Like Katniss, Blake was content to allow the ride to pass in silence. He knew that Katniss was still processing the events from the previous day and would likely just need some time before she was ready to talk.  
  
They pulled into the empty front lot and Blake put the truck in park and killed the engine. "Ready?" The question was a mere formality as Katniss had already released her seat belt and was pushing the door open. Blake grinned as he hurried to join her.  
  
Once inside, Katniss moved with purpose past the desk where an older woman sat with her crocheting. "Wait. One minute. Young lady, where are you going?" The woman sounded crabby, and Katniss imagined she might too if her days were spent monitoring the comings and goings of the hospital.  
  
Blake stopped at the desk. "Her best friend is in ICU and … ."  
  
The woman cut him off. "She's what? Nine? Ten? Too young. Especially for ICU. She can't go in there."  
  
"I am ten," Katniss announced indignantly and reached for the blue pass that was tucked inside her coat. "I have a special pass that says I can go there to see Peeta." The woman looked doubtful as she took the pass from Katniss's hand and stared at it for a minute. Her lips pursed and she checked the roster to make sure that "Peeta Mellark" was indeed in ICU. Passes were reserved for very special circumstances.  
  
"It's early," she said, glancing at the clock which read "7:27" in large red letters.  
  
"Right," Blake said unperturbed, "but you see Katniss has barely slept and I'm sure that you understand, Mrs. … ."  
  
"Snow," she interjected.  
  
Blake remembered a conversation with a C. Snow when Peeta was in kindergarten. That particular Snow worked in the child welfare department of Social Services, and had rubbed him entirely the wrong way with his snake-like eyes and his chilly, too-precise demeanor. He cleared his throat, "Uh, is your husband the Mr. Snow who works at Social Services?"  
  
At the mention of his name, the woman's countenance shifted. "Oh my no. Coriolanus is my son," she smiled proudly. "Do you know him?"  
  
"We've met," he answered evenly, careful to keep the distaste from his voice.  
  
"Oh well, any friend of my son's. …," her voice took on a friendlier tone. "Do you know the way back?"  
  
"Yes," Blake said and placed a hand on Katniss's shoulders. "Thank you," he said as he nudged Katniss forward. They walked down the hallway and Katniss noted the paintings on the wall somewhat dubiously. They were of a similar variety to the clown painting in the waiting room from the day before. All of them lacked cheer. In her opinion, the paintings in a hospital should have been lighter and a bit more brighter.  
  
They rounded a corner and came to the set of double doors marking the entrance to the intensive care unit. Katniss felt the lump rising in her throat. She was still trying to come to terms with the fact that Peeta had been severely injured. Blake pushed the doors open and first thing they heard was the very unhappy tones of Peeta.  
  
Katniss rushed forward. Peeta never complained about anything and if he did, it had to be really bad. As she neared his room, she could make out the conversation.  
  
"No. I won't. It's gross."  
  
"But you need to eat something. You need to get strong so that you can go home."  
  
"I don't want to go ho- … ." Peeta stopped abruptly as Katniss entered. The belligerent look quickly left his face and was replaced by his familiar gentle smile. "Hey, Katniss!"  
  
"Hey, Peety!" She greeted, forcing a smile to her face and trying not to look at his leg which made her leg throb painfully in sympathy. "What are you eating?"  
  
Peeta grimaced, "They call it 'far-rina.'" He tipped the bowl slightly so that she could see the dull gray contents which in Peeta's mind resembled gruel.  
  
"Oh, Cream of Wheat," Katniss answered evenly managing to mask her face. It wasn't her favorite either.  
  
"You've eaten it before?" Peeta's voice betrayed suspicion.  
  
"A couple of times. When Mom was in the hospital having Prim, I stayed with my grandma and she made me eat it." Katniss shivered at the recollection as Peeta listlessly stirred the bowl.  
Just then, John Mellark entered the tiny room, holding a medium-sized box in his hands. If he was surprised to see the Everdeens, he managed to hide it well. "Morning, Peeta. How are you doing today?"  
  
"Okay, my leg hurts some and they gave me a button to push if I need something, but I don't want to push it because I want to get better quick."  
  
"He needs to eat," the nurse insisted. John moved closer to the bed and inspected the bowl of hot cereal.  
  
"Mmmm, well, Peeta is accustomed to something a bit higher in carbs for breakfast," he said as he set the box down and opened the lid. Inside were all kinds of sweet treats from Mellark's. The kind of treats that Peeta was rarely allowed to have unless they had gone stale on the shelf. But as Peeta sat up slightly to get a better view, he could tell that these were fresh. "I thought you two might be joining us," John said, addressing Katniss and Blake for the first time since entering the room. His broad smile indicated that they were more than welcome.  
  
Blake shrugged slightly. "This one," his hand landed on Katniss's shoulder, "wouldn't dally in bed at home while this one," he reached his other hand to Peeta's good leg, "was stuck in here." Katniss blushed and Peeta grinned as he decided it was the most awesome shade of pink he had ever seen and committed it to memory.  
  
The nurse rolled her eyes but held up her hands in mock surrender. "Wouldn't hurt to bribe me with one of those if you're planning to have him eat them for breakfast." John quickly held out the box to her. "No, you all choose first."  
  
Peeta selected a large jelly donut with thick frosting. Katniss went for her all time favorite — a cheese bun. Blake selected a long john with nuts while the nurse picked out a bear claw. As they bit into their pastries, all four released moans of approval in unison which caused Peeta and Katniss to giggle helplessly.  
  
Eventually, the nurse brought in a pitcher of water to wash down the sweet rolls. Peeta laid back and rubbed his stomach. "Thanks, Dad. That was delicious." John blushed a bit at his son's praise. He knew well that in his son's ten years, he had given him few enough reasons to thank him. John marveled every day that his environment had failed to harden the sweet little boy. He nodded in return, not trusting his voice.  
  
John and Blake settled into the two chairs in the room. Katniss looked around the room and noticed that there were no chairs left for her. She felt a slight tug on one of her braids and turned her head in Peeta's direction. He cocked his head to the side quickly, an invitation for her to join him on the bed.  
  
Katniss quickly surveyed the situation and decided she could, in fact, sit on his right side that was absent all the tubes and other things that poked into his left side. The foot stool she had used the day before was still conveniently placed. Before anyone could stop her, Katniss hopped up on the small stool and released the side rail, and quickly climbed into bed next to him.  
  
Neither Blake nor John were particularly surprised by this development, and Peeta's smile would have pushed any reservations aside anyway. So they merely watched the two as they began whispering in earnest to one another.  
  
When the nurse arrived back in the room to check Peeta's vitals, she raised her eyebrow. "Pretty certain that's a one passenger bed," she tried to keep the humor out of her voice, but her eyes twinkled.  
  
"Neither of us are a full person," Katniss reasoned.  
  
"Ahhhh, I see. Well, just to be certain that neither of you falls out, we better put the side up and you must be very cautious not to bump any of the tubes or jostle Peeta."  
  
"I will be careful," Katniss nodded and Peeta followed suit. If he could trust anyone, it was Katniss.  
  
The nurse was efficient and quickly recorded all of his vitals. When she announced that everything was normal and he was doing much better than even a few hours before, everyone let out a collective breath.  
  
"I don't know about you, Blake, but I could use a more hearty breakfast," John said and Blake nodded as he got to his feet. "Do you want to come with us, Katniss?"  
  
She shook her head, "No thank you. I prefer to stay here." Peeta nodded his affirmation which caused both men to smile.  
  
Once their fathers left the room, Katniss quickly turned to Peeta, "Tell me what happened."  
  
Peeta stared at her for a moment but knew there was nothing he could hide from her so he recounted the details of the day. He was modest about his sought-after cupcakes but Katniss knew they were a huge item for the bakery. Peeta told her about closing late, about counting the money and then cleaning up. He mentioned that Derrick's money box was short.  
  
"I was on my way out when I saw a box for Mother so I brought it back into the bakery. I should have just left but when I came back, Derrick said I must have stole the money." Katniss's gray eyes smoldered at the revelation. Peeta would never steal. "So, when she asked me to empty my pockets, I did to show her I didn't have the money."  
  
His voice had begun to waver and he pulled in a calming breath as Katniss looped her arm around his shoulder. "She found a dollar in my wallet and she thought that was part of the money. Then Dad stepped in and he told me to pick up my stuff and have a nice time. Mother got angry with him and I left the store. I got to the crosswalk and the light was red so I pushed the button, and then Mother came out."  
  
Tears were coursing down his cheeks as his voice dropped to a whisper. Katniss cried too as she dropped her hand to his back and rubbed gently. "I … I … the light didn't turn and I … I … th-th-think  she … she … pushed me but I … don't know for sure." His words lit a fire in Katniss that wouldn't be quenched for several years to come. In her heart, she knew that Cynthia Mellark was exactly the kind of woman who would push her son into traffic. "Maybe it was an accident." Peeta said, his voice breaking.  
  
"Maybe," Katniss said, but her voice betrayed her. She didn't believe it. She pulled Peeta closer, gently hugging him. As he calmed, he slumped back into the bed and she could hear his light snores.  
  
Katniss adjusted herself so that she lay with her head on his shoulder and whispered, "Peeta, I promise you that she's not going to hurt you again if I can help it." It was a promise she would keep when the time came.  
  
His breathing quickly lulled her to sleep and when the nurse returned to check on Peeta, she discovered the pair sleeping peacefully with Katniss's arm wrapped protectively around him.

She picked up Peeta's chart and scribbled a note, "09:05, patient is resting comfortably."


	12. Christmas Wishes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hunger Games characters belong to Suzanne Collins.
> 
> Also, the next chapter of "Parents" should be up in a few days and there's at least one surprise in it ...
> 
> Thanks for reading!

Peeta woke with a crick in his neck and a dull ache in his leg. It took him a moment to orient himself and then he realized that he was asleep on the Everdeen's couch. The lights from the Christmas tree illuminated the room just enough for Peeta to make out Katniss's sleeping form on the floor, pressed tight to the couch.  
  
In spite of his aches and pains, Peeta smiled to himself. It was Christmas Eve or more than likely Christmas Day and there was no place he would rather be than on that couch. Well, he would rather be in the lower bunk upstairs, but Jen had banned the stairs after she caught him and Katniss doing "daredevil tricks" with his crutches.  
  
The past two-and-a-half weeks had been something else. The days following the accident were still a little foggy for Peeta and his only clear memories were of Katniss curled into his side as he rested in his ICU bed. On his fourth day in the hospital, he was moved to the children's ward where he shared a room with another ten-year-old named Hannah.  
  
For some reason, Katniss disliked Hannah who she deemed "too nosy." But Peeta didn't mind her. In fact, she helped pass the time when Katniss was in school. Katniss, however, was ever-vigilant and arrived at seven o'clock each morning for breakfast with Peeta. She waited until the very last moment and then she would head to school.  
  
Not quite seven hours later, Katniss returned with her backpack stuffed full of homework. She was as good as the teachers when it came to explaining the assignments. After they finished with homework, Katniss would pull out her worn copy of Harry Potter and read to Peeta. He could easily read the text, and he often did; but, he preferred listening to Katniss.  
  
Katniss was a more faithful visitor than most of his family. Only his father arrived at regular intervals. JJ and his mother arrived once to inform him that they would follow through with their plans to go skiing. Peeta tried to hide his enthusiasm with their plan as he was certain that if his mother knew how much he wanted to stay behind, she would probably find a way to bring him with just to spoil his holiday.  
  
The Everdeens visited daily, and the night before he was released, Jen informed him that he would be staying with him through his conva … something. Again, Peeta could not have been more happy.  
  
His father arrived the next day to sign the paperwork and they drove together to the Everdeens. It was midday, and Katniss and Prim were in school, while Blake was at work. Jen welcomed him home with a big hug which he gratefully accepted.  
  
Katniss had squealed — actually squealed — when she arrived home that day to find Peeta lounging in the living room. At first the stairs were too difficult to navigate, so he opted for the couch but by Sunday, he braved the stairs and he and Katniss spent a comfortable night sleeping in the bunk beds.  
  
Monday morning though, Peeta discovered that he could do "tricks" with his crutches. Out of sight of Jen, he perfected a handstand with Katniss's assistance. Then they moved to the stairs where he discovered he could make it down the stairs to the first landing by using his crutches as improvised poles. The first two runs were successful and that's when Katniss decided to try. But her aim was slightly off and the right crutch skidded off its mark and she tumbled to the landing. Jen rushed from the kitchen and it was the closest to upset Peeta had ever seen her.  
  
After checking Katniss for injuries, Jen said, "You two will remain on the ground level until I tell you can go back upstairs and you will learn that those crutches are not toys." Both children had "yes ma'am-ed" her and then she turned away, but not before Peeta noticed that she was struggling to control her features and a smile blossomed.  
  
Katniss blew an exasperated breath. In her mind, her mother always interfered with her daredevil tendencies. She hadn't gotten hurt, so what was the big deal?  
  
The rest of the day, they played quietly in the living room with the Lincoln logs that had grown from a single cabin into a full scale settlement.  
  
But by Tuesday, Peeta was bored. He wanted to bake. So after considerable cajoling, Peeta finally convinced Jen to let him and Katniss bake. It wasn't that she didn't think he was capable, she just didn't want him to exert himself too much. A fact that Katniss found amusing. If her mother only knew.  
  
Finally, Peeta was dictating the recipe for the "secret" Mellark cake batter to Katniss who dutifully measured and mixed. Periodically, Peeta would taste-test and tell her to add a smidgen of this or that to perfect it. Eventually, the cupcakes were in the oven and they started to work on Katniss's favorite — cheese buns.  
  
Peeta knew that she loved all of the Mellark bakery goods, but one held a special place which caused Katniss to sigh each time she took a bite. Peeta had asked his father to teach him the recipe when he was six and through the years, he had tinkered with adding different cheeses and using butter instead of margarine, and the sigh had turned into a moan that made Peeta grin.  
  
After the cupcakes finished baking, Peeta began working on the frosting. He added ingredients and stirred and tasted until he deemed it perfect. Then he set to work using Jen's rather primitive decorating tools to create his very own frosted masterpieces. Ironically, the biggest money-maker for the bakery ended up in the kitchen of the Everdeens without a single cent of profit.  
  
Peeta watched as the family admired the display of two dozen beautifully decorated cupcakes. "Merry Christmas," he said shyly.  
  
"Oh Peeta, these are wonderful!" Jen said as she stepped in to get a closer look. "They are … absolutely spectacular."  
  
Peeta wasn't accustomed to such high praise and blushed to his ear tips.  
  
Jen made her traditional chicken soup for Christmas Eve. They ate early because Primmy was too excited to wait. Blake read the Christmas story and then each of the children were allowed to unwrap one present.  
  
Katniss opened a new stocking hat and mittens that Jen had knitted in her favorite forest green. Primmy opted for the largest package that contained a stuffed goat she promptly christened, Lady. Finally, it was Peeta's turn. He selected a smallish package which contained Superman slippers. Even though he could only wear one, he was excited because Superman was their new favorite.  
  
Katniss knew that somewhere under the tree were similar slippers for her and that Peeta likely had a soft orange hat and mittens under the tree. That's how it worked in the Everdeen household.  
  
They went to bed early with the promise that they would wake to presents from Santa in the morning. Now, several hours later, as Peeta shifted on the couch, he became aware of the huge mound of presents that had grown overnight.  
  
"Katniss," he whispered. "Katniss," slightly louder. "Wake up."  
  
Katniss scrunched her eyes together and then stretched as big as she could before reluctantly opening her eyes.  
  
"Merry Christmas," Peeta said and nodded in the direction of the tree.  
  
"Wow!" Katniss exclaimed. "Merry Christmas to you too, Peety. What time is it?"  
  
As if on cue the mantle clock chimed six times. Katniss knew that Prim would be downstairs in just a bit so she decided that it was time for her and Peeta to open their presents to each other. Katniss was excited because she had saved all year to buy special things for all her family, but Peeta especially.  
  
She handed him his first present, long and thin. Peeta opened it quickly and discovered a thin bamboo tube with a tiny hand attached. "It's a scratcher and it should fit inside your cast." He laughed and then stood to try it out murmuring a grateful sigh as he finally reached that annoying itch halfway down his thigh.  
  
Katniss opened a small hunting knife which Peeta had asked Blake for help to obtain. She marveled at the leather case and the perfect size and shape. Impulsively, she reached in and hugged Peeta.  
  
Next, he opened a set of charcoal pencils. They were the expensive kind that Peeta had longed for each time they went to the art supply store.  
  
Katniss similarly opened a set of lead pencils embossed with her name. She grinned at Peeta knowing that she would no longer be able to accuse others of stealing her pencils.  
  
Finally, Peeta opened his last present from Katniss. He gasped as he drew the leather bound sketchbook from the box. The book was handmade and had also been one of the things he had spent time wishing for while in the art store. Peeta's name was embossed in the lower corner.  
  
"It's perfect," Peeta said, his voice strangled. "Open yours!"  
  
Katniss tore into the wrapping paper and quickly unveiled a similar book in a lighter leather. She opened it to reveal lined paper with blank spaces at the top and bottom. A journal. It too was the perfect gift. As much as Peeta loved drawing, Katniss had come to love writing.  
  
Peeta squirmed uncomfortably as the seconds ticked by without a word from Katniss. "You know how you always want a book of your own for the plants and things we find in the wild? Well, I was thinking that this could be it, and we could work on it together. You'll write and I could … ."  
  
But before he could finish the thought, she grabbed him tightly around the neck and forced him backward to the floor. "I love it, Peety, and I love you!" It wasn't the first time she had made the declaration; yet, something about it made his head spin.  
  
He smiled crookedly at her. "I love you too, Kitty Kat."  
  
A few years later, Peeta would purchase another journal for Katniss. This time, though, the book would be for an entirely different purpose. It would serve as a book of remembrance for her father, and in it, the pair would record all the memories they had of Blake.  
  
But for the time being, they were cocooned in the happiness of Christmas morning. A small cry broke their contented silence as Prim bounded down the stairway. Christmas for her had always been extremely exciting.  
  
"Santa came! Santa came!" Prim cried with jubilation. Peeta and Katniss exchanged a knowing glance. It had been two years since either of them believed in Santa Claus, and somehow that knowledge made both feel a bit more mature than six-year-old Prim.  
  
Prim quickly began sorting  through the presents and soon had piles for everyone. In the meantime, Blake and Jen had arrived downstairs and sat in the love-seat waiting for Prim to finish. Prim pushed the piles toward each one and then quickly dove into her presents.  
  
As Prim tore through the wrapping, she squealed loudly each time the contents was revealed. Katniss and Peeta were only slightly more sedate.  
  
Katniss opened the heaviest present to reveal the first four books of the Harry Potter series - hardbound. She let out a tiny squeak. It was her favorite series of all and she could hardly wait to read her way through them. She continued on to open Superman pajamas, slippers, a new set of Lincoln logs, some clothes for school, a new winter jacket, an 'N Sync cd, and a "Toy Story 2" video. But her favorite gift of all was a perfectly-sized compound bow.  
  
Peeta opened his orange hat and mittens first and exclaimed that they were the perfect shade. Next, he opened his Superman pajamas, a train track with a running locomotive that he had been eyeing for sometime as the perfect addition to their Lincoln log settlement, a winter jacket, a Backstreet Boys cd (even though he would have preferred 'N Sync), a "Beethoven's 3rd" video and clothes. But his favorite present was a Nintendo 64 console with a "Star Wars" game.  
  
Peeta knew that his and Katniss's largest presents came from his father under the disguise of Santa because he knew his dad's handwriting. He knew his father loved him very much, but sometimes he wished his father would just sign the card, "Dad" instead of Santa.  
  
Peeta's father would arrive later in the day, laden with more gifts, and this time he would make Peeta's wishes come true, as each was carefully marked "From Dad" on the tag.  
  
After the living room was cleaned, Katniss ran upstairs to put on her Superman pajamas (it was a pajama kind of day), and Peeta was left alone in the living room to put on his new pajamas and single slipper. The bottoms were roomy enough to slide over the cast without having to cut off the leg and Peeta was happy.  
  
Blake began setting up the Nintendo. It always went without saying that whatever presents Peeta received in the Everdeen household, stayed in the Everdeen household. It was safer that way. But Peeta didn't mind. In fact, in this instance, he was excited because he knew he had at least six solid weeks left in the care of Jen.  
  
After it was setup, Blake helped Peeta move closer. They had discovered that Katniss's bean bag chair provided a comfortable place for Peeta to sit. Blake handed both controllers to Peeta, who promptly handed the second one off to Katniss.  
  
The morning passed quickly as the pair alternated between Nintendo and their new movies. Primmy took time out to watch both before returning to her toys.  
  
John arrived just before lunch and spent several minutes carting food and presents into the house. After their delicious lunch, Katniss handed her new set of books to Peeta and told him to pick out whichever one he wanted to read. Peeta opted for book three, and Katniss decided to start over with book one. They lounged at opposite ends of the couch, sharing a blanket. In spite of the fact the book was a favorite, both children fell asleep almost immediately.  
  
Peeta's father entered the living room with purpose. He wanted the children to open their presents from him. But when he saw his golden curled son sleeping peacefully with the blanket tugged up beneath his chin, John watched him for several minutes as one memory after another flooded his mind.  
  
In spite of everything, his little boy was able to spend his holiday with his best friend, Katniss which John knew was Peeta's only desire. "Christmas wishes really do come true," John murmured as he wiped a single tear from his eye.


	13. The Parents - Confession

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "The Parents" - Outtake  
> Thanks for reading.

John put the finishing touches on the mashed potatoes that he was preparing for Christmas dinner at the Everdeens. The house was blissfully quiet. Cynthia, JJ and Derrick has left for their skiing trip the previous morning and he had spent the rest of the day working feverishly in the bakery, as it was one of the busiest days of the year.  
  
He didn't mind though. In fact, even as business mounted through the day, the tension of the past few weeks left his body.   
  
After Peeta's accident, he questioned Cynthia more than once about her role and each time she assured him that Peeta had slipped from the curb. Still, the whole thing gnawed at John. Blake's words at the hospital about protecting Peeta had struck a chord with him. He had done the best he could and still his little boy had nearly died. Maybe his best was not good enough.  
  
The days immediately following the accident were tense in the Mellark household. Cynthia had spent the better part of three hours at the police station answering questions regarding her role. Someone had reported seeing her shove Peeta in front of the car. Somehow she managed to explain it all away but she returned home in a surly mood decrying Peeta's clumsiness to anyone who would listen.  
  
JJ ended up in a fight at school because one of his friends called Cynthia a "bitch." As far as John was concerned, it was the truth and he would not have risked a black eye defending her but JJ loved his mother despite her flaws.  
  
Three days following the accident, John walked into the house after visiting Peeta at the hospital and was told that a family meeting was underway. During the meeting, Cynthia announced that the planned ski trip would go on as scheduled regardless of whether Peeta was out of the hospital or not. He considered arguing but decided against it. No point really.  
  
The next day, while Peeta was still in ICU, JJ drove his mother to the hospital to break the news. That evening, Cynthia was outraged but covering it with a too tight smile.  
  
"That little shit just laid there and had the audacity to say, 'have a nice trip, Mother,'" she mimicked Peeta's voice. "Like he didn't even care whether we went or not. I've a good mind to take the brat with us and make him sit in the room all day."  
  
John's eyes widened at her revelation but he quickly masked it. "You certainly could, Cynthia, but I expect someone in the hotel would want him to be supervised during that time."  
  
She huffed out a breath. "I suppose you're right," she grumbled. "Damn kid."  
  
"He probably does want you to have a good time," John reasoned. "At any rate, you should go and enjoy yourself." John's tone was so similar to Peeta's that she looked up sharply but she considered John too dumb to use "psychology" on her so she acquiesced.   
  
"I will. We will. Won't we boys?" JJ gave an enthusiastic whoop but Derrick merely nodded. He had been exceptionally quiet since the accident and John wondered what he had witnessed when he had ran after his mother that day.  
  
A few days later, though, her plans very nearly came to a grinding halt when Dr. Heavensbee met with them.  
  
"Welcome, Mr. and Mrs. Mellark, please sit," he indicated two chairs off to the side. "I'll get right to the point. Peeta is doing exceptionally well and we will be releasing him in a few days but he's still going to need constant care."  
  
Cynthia blanched. John was already working from pre-dawn to dusk in the bakery trying to stay ahead of the orders. She, on the other hand, had taken on more of a life of leisure since moving to their new home. She no longer felt compelled to take a daily shift. The doctor's news meant only one thing to her — she would have to take care of the boy. That, was intolerable!  
  
"But certainly you won't release him until he's … self-sufficient."  
  
"We'll have him up on crutches in a few days, but he's going to need help with his physical therapy, as well as bathing and possibly just getting around those first few days."  
  
"But … when … do you expect to release him?"  
  
"In about a week or so. We want to start some therapy now and possible switch him to a different cast but I would expect by next … ."  
  
"We will be going skiing. That is, my boys and I will be skiing." The doctor blinked rapidly. "I don't suppose you could … keep him until after New Year's?" She tried her sweetest smile.  
  
The doctor looked at her sternly. "If I were you Mrs. Mellark, I would make other plans. Now, I would like to go over his therapy."  
  
But Cynthia ceased listening at that point. Peeta was messing up her life again. John could sense her seething and if the doctor could as well, he managed to cover well. A few minutes later, John shook the doctor's hand, pleased that Peeta was doing so well.  
  
The doctor ushered them out of the office and they moved down the highly polished hallway. "What the hell, John? Now I have to give up my trip to take care of that ungrateful brat?" Her voice was low but her tone was menacing.  
  
"Not now!" John growled.  
  
She huffed out a breath as they hurried toward the parking lot. John had hoped the accident would soften Cynthia's attitude toward their youngest but instead it fueled the fire.   
  
Once inside the car, Cynthia started in. "Look, there's no way he's going to mess up this vacation. He clearly can't go with and I'm not staying back, so you need to figure it out."  
  
Cynthia actually gave John the opening her was looking for. A way to take Peeta out of harm's way. "Go ahead, Cynthia. Go ahead on your trip. I will figure it out." He already had a tentative plan in his mind. He intended to speak with the Everdeens and offer to pay Jen to act as a nurse to Peeta.  
  
His opportunity came two nights later when he ran into the Everdeens at the hospital. He barely finished with his predicament when Jen spoke up. "He can stay with us while he recovers." Blake nodded. "He's no bother and you don't need to pay me a thing. He's a wonderful little boy." But John insisted that he would help out with expenses.   
  
The days flew by as he was so busy with work and trips to the hospital. Eventually, the day arrived that he went to the hospital and signed Peeta's release forms and took him to the Everdeens. He stood back as Jen opened her arms in welcome to Peeta and watched as his youngest son hugged her tightly and emitted a soft sigh. In that moment, John admitted that he wished his life were different.  
  
He visited daily and both Blake and Jen always welcomed him. Sometimes he played games with the children, and other times he filled Peeta in on the happenings at the bakery. Without a doubt, Peeta was the one who exhibited the most talent for the business.  
  
John, though, was looking forward to Christmas Day with the Everdeens. He longed for a peaceful meal and the shared intimacy of a family holiday. He volunteered to cook the meal, and at first Jen refused, but he wouldn't hear of it. He had already purchased a large ham and said the rest of the meal was really no problem. Yet, it drove him out of bed at not quite five to begin preparations.  
  
So now, everything was ready and he was in the process of packing it into his car. Having added catering to the long list of things that Mellark's supplied, he had access to all the necessary hot and cold storage.  
  
He arrived just before noon, and Peeta greeted him with a broad smile. "Hey, Dad! Look what Santa gave me," Peeta pointed in the direction of the TV where his new Nintendo 64 was sitting. John dipped his head slightly, knowing full well the Santa crap had not fooled his son.  
  
Jen and Blake helped to carry everything from the car, and it took only minutes to set up. Blake said a short prayer of thanks before everyone dished up their plates. They ate buffet style and sat in the living room so that it would be easier for Peeta. Katniss carried Peeta's plate as he made selections and John marveled at the size of the helpings but Peeta had no problem finishing it and even asked for seconds.  
  
He couldn't help but notice how attentive Peeta was whenever Katniss spoke. Sometimes she would lean in close and whisper something just for him, her eyes shining, and Peeta would grin in return. He wondered what kind of secrets ten-year-olds could have but found himself smilingly approvingly anyway. John knew that no matter what, he would never give Peeta the same advice that his father had given him. Deep down, though, he also knew that Peeta would never be foolish enough to listen even if he did.  
  
As the meal ended, Blake gathered the dishes, and Jen began washing. John joined them in the kitchen to pack up the leftovers and take the pie and cookies out for later. When he returned to the living room, he saw Peeta and Katniss sound asleep on the couch. He watched for several seconds before returning to the kitchen.  
  
John stood quietly, lost in thought. Jen turned from the sink and noticed him standing there with tears glistening in his eyes. "Something wrong, John?"  
  
He shook his head, "No … um … I just want to thank you both for everything you've done for my Peeta. I can't imagine what his life would have been like these past years without the refuge of your home. Thank you so much. I will repay you somehow."  
  
Blake stood with a dish towel in his hand, pondering his words. He knew what it was like to owe someone, but Peeta was like a son to him. "No need, John," but then he cleared his throat. "Actually, I know this is Christmas and all but I need to ask straight up, why are you still with that bi… Cynthia?" Blake finished a little lamely.  
  
His voice was barely above a whisper when he answered. "It wasn't always this way. She loved JJ and Derrick, right from the first. She's a good mother to them. But I think our marriage was a huge letdown to her. I've never loved her like a husband should love a wife. We both felt trapped. When she was pregnant with Peeta, she perked up considerably. Hoping for … but then when he was born, it was like a switch inside her shut off."  
  
John glanced toward the Everdeens who had a marriage the polar opposite of his broken one. "I think somehow, in her mind, Peeta was to blame for everything. I've not told anyone this …," he hesitated. "When Cynthia got pregnant with Peeta, I was having an affair." There had been rumors, of course, but to hear the admission brought Jen up short and she inhaled sharply. "I … uh … the woman got pregnant and went to Cynthia and told her everything, hoping, I guess, that she would divorce me. Instead of getting angry, Cynthia cried and begged me to stop the affair because she too, was pregnant. I was flabbergasted. Cynthia and I had barely slept together."  
  
He sat down at the table. "Cynthia said that if I ever divorced her, she would take my boys and I would never see them again. That was it. I knew no matter what, I had to stay with Cynthia until the children were grown." John rubbed a hand across his face. "I'm ashamed to admit that I didn't stop the affair for several months. The woman was married to one of my best friends. Eventually, we stopped though and I didn't speak to her until two weeks before Peeta's birth when she called me from the hospital and told me she had a girl."  
  
John couldn't even look at them now. "Ironically, Cynthia got very excited because she believed that she too would have a girl. Well, you know the rest of the story."  
  
Blake and Jen were silent for several seconds. So many questions but none seemed entirely appropriate.   
  
"Since then, I've walked the straight and narrow though. I didn't want to give her anymore reason to hate Peeta. You're probably wondering about the girl." Blake and Jen nodded. "She's mine. You can tell through the eyes and the shade of her hair, not to mention the curls. But she calls someone else 'Daddy,' and that's probably better than the stigma of being born as the result of an affair. Her … her name is Judy Glimmer"  
  
Jen turned quickly away from him. Blake's confirmation of the rumors was almost too much. Hadn't he learned his lesson in high school? The lives of two children had been altered as the result of his actions.  
  
"Jen, I know what you're thinking. I wish I could justify it, but it's useless. I've paid penance for that affair for years and will for years to come. There are no excuses, and if I could, I would go back and alter history but I can't."  
  
His words sent her hurtling back in time to a very similar confession when he had told her about his dalliances. "Hard lessons to learn, John. I hope you have learned them well this time." She turned back to the dishes and struggled to put the whole thing from her mind not wanting to ruin Christmas.  
  
But John's words did affect the rest of the afternoon. The trio finished the dishes and returned to the living room to open the gifts that John had brought. The mood of the adults was somber and the two older children picked up on it immediately, toning down their exuberance as they opened their gifts. Only little Primmy screeched wildly as she opened her presents.  
  
Jen couldn't help but wonder whether John was trying to make up for all the lost years with his own daughter as she watched Prim open a Baby Annabell doll (that had been sold out for weeks), stroller, high chair, and other toys.  
  
Katniss and Peeta each got a Teksta toy dog, assorted Pokemon goodies, and Lego sets that would allow them to build their own mechanized vehicles. He also bought Peeta a desktop easel, brushes and canvas. Katniss got a new pair of hunting gloves and boots, obviously chosen with the help of Blake.  
  
The men began cleaning up the discarded paper and helping the children free their toys from their boxes, as Jen moved to the kitchen to start coffee. She was so lost in thought, she did not hear John come up behind her until he cleared his throat.  
  
"Sorry, didn't mean to startle you."  
  
"It's okay."  
  
"Jen, I'm sorry for dropping all that on you. I know what you're thinking but it was over ten years ago. I should have known better. But it's behind me now."  
  
"What about the little girl? What about Judy Glimmer? From what I've seen of her, she has kind of a crush on Peeta and isn't her sister dating JJ? Wait, isn't the ski trip with the Glimmers?"  
  
John nodded. "Yes, well, it's complicated. Peeta can't stand Judy and … ."  
  
"John, that may not always be the case once he hits his teenage years. You and her mother need to be honest with Judy." Jen took in the look of horror on John's face. "Does her father know?"  
  
"He didn't at first," John admitted, "but Royce hasn't exactly been a saint himself. They split up for awhile but got back together for the sake of the kids."  
  
Jen exhaled and shook her head. "I'm all for keeping families together but if there's discord among the parents, sometimes it's better to let go. But for the sake of the children and any future embarrassment, someone needs to tell them they are … half-siblings," she whispered as she looked quickly to the living room.  
  
He nodded. "My therapist has been urging me to tell them, but I don't know where to start. In fact, he urged me to talk about the affair as part of my therapy. You and Blake are the first ones. Based on your reactions, I'm not so sure talking is a good idea."  
  
"It just caught us all by surprise, John. Maybe you should let Cynthia know what you need to do, and then talk to the Glimmers together. I'm sure they will be reluctant, but you have to understand that a few moments of discomfort now, might well spare everyone huge embarrassment later."   
  
"Makes sensé," John concurred. "But you know, I don't want her to take it out on Peeta."  
  
Jen sighed. "It's ridiculous that she blames Peeta for your infidelities but why don't you tell them when they arrive home from the skiing trip. Peety will still be here for at least a month and that will give her time to cool down I would think. Besides, you're not exactly blindsiding her. She knows, so … ."  
  
"You're right, and it would be better all the way around. Thanks, you've actually helped me a lot, Jen, and I want you to know how sorry I am about everything that happened back in high school."  
  
"Well, John, if it's any consolation, I believe I ended up with the right man." John merely nodded as he began cutting the pie.  
  
After he and Jen spoke, the mood lifted somewhat; although, Jen was still reeling at his confession.  
  
They played card games and board games to pass the time. The evening meal was mostly the sweets that John had brought with him, along with Peeta's cupcakes. John complimented Peeta about the smoothness of the frosting and the absolute perfection of each small masterpiece.   
  
"This boy has more talent in one hand than all of the other Mellark men put together!" Peeta beamed.  
  
After supper, they settled back into the living room where Blake took out his guitar and he and Katniss serenaded the group with Christmas carols. Even though she was still a child, she was an outstanding singer. Peeta stared at Katniss with a look of pure adoration on his face that made John smile. John knew in his heart that if Katniss would allow it, there would be only one girl for Peeta, and he would never be as foolish as his father.  
  
John stayed much later than he had planned but he didn't really want to leave his son and the warmth of the Everdeens.   
  
After bidding them goodnight, he stepped out into the bitter cold. For a brief moment, he felt a surge of jealousy toward Blake but he caught himself and realized that his only real emotion should be gratitude for the care Blake took of his son. He puffed out a breath and shook his head slightly, before heading to his cold vehicle.


	14. Teamwork

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hunger Games characters belong to Suzanne Collins.
> 
> **Note: The modification of the sled was inspired by a real-life episode involving my dad after my brother broke his leg. Anxious to resume his daily play activities, my brother begged and pleaded until my dad modified an old Radio Flyer sled so that he could get around outside! ;-)

Katniss was bored. Not just regular bored, but BORED. Since Christmas break started, she had spent all her time indoors, playing ever conceivable game imaginable with Peeta.  
  
They had already reached the upper levels of the “Star Wars” game that came with his Nintendo 64. Peeta wanted “Diddy Kong Racing” or “Mario Kart 64” but in the meantime, all they had was one game and they were quickly on their way to mastering it.

One afternoon, Katniss read aloud "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone," while Peeta sketched. Another day, the two added his train set to their pioneer town, and built an elaborate depot. They even played Uno and Operation with Primmy. In fact, Peeta felt like he had played Operation enough that he could successfully remove the funny bone blindfolded.

But today, she was bored and so was Peeta. Together, they sat on the couch staring out through the window as lazy snowflakes dropped to the ground. It was her second favorite time of year. The time of year that was supposed to be consumed by building snow forts, and snowman, and ice skating, and cross country skiing, and … .  
  
Katniss stopped her thoughts knowing that it was just selfish considering that Peeta couldn’t play outside right now. She looked at his cast encased leg on which she had written no fewer than eight times.  
  
Peeta noticed her stare, and shifted a bit uncomfortably. “I wish I could go outside,” Peeta whispered pitifully.  
  
Katniss shifted her gaze and looked directly in his eyes, seeing a sadness there that made her insides clench. She leaned forward and hugged him tightly. “I know, Peety. I know.”  
  
“You can … you can go outside,” he finished quickly, even though his throat hurt to say it.  
  
She quickly shook her head. “No Peety. We either go together, or not at all.” Her resolve complete, she felt a sort of relief wash over her.  
  
“But I can’t … .”  
  
“No, Peety, maybe we just haven’t figured out how yet. Let’s figure it out.” She rested her chin on the palm of her hand as she puzzled through the dilemma. “First thing we have to figure out is how to keep you warm.”  
  
Peeta flicked his finger against the solid casing. He was warm right now. Almost hot but being outside would likely be different. “Uh, my snow pants are Derrick’s old ones, maybe they’ll fit over the top.”  
  
A smile crossed Katniss’s lips and she wondered why she hadn’t figured that out herself. She ran to the closet where a bag of Peeta’s winter clothes was stored. John Mellark had dropped them off without giving much thought to his son’s inability to play outside. She grabbed the worn black bibs and hurried back.  
  
Katniss began tugging them over the cast but the foot presented an immediate problem.  
  
“What are you two doing?” Jen’s voice startled them both.  
  
“We are trying to figure out a way to keep Peeta warm when he goes outside.”  
  
“Oh Katniss,” Jen frowned, not unlike Katniss, “I don’t think it’s a good idea for him to go outside. He could slip and fall and hurt himself.”  
  
It wasn’t that she was oblivious to Peeta’s health, Katniss just felt strongly that Peeta needed the fresh air. “Mom, remember what you said last year after Peety and I had the flu? You said, ‘You both need fresh air to finish the healing process.’”  
  
“Yes, I did, but you were both well on the road to recovery when I said that. Peeta still has several weeks to go.”  
  
“Right, but we’re just trying to figure out the best way to keep him warm right now.  One step at a time.” Katniss tugged a bit harder on the snow pants.  
  
Stubborn. Katniss was just plain stubborn and Jen knew that she had two choices. She could either forbid them to proceed, and have two sulky children the rest of the day, or try to help them. “Let me see the pants.”  
  
Both children grinned at her as Katniss tugged the snow pants off his foot and handed them to her mother. Jen walked to her sewing basket and took out a tape measure. She pulled it around Peeta’s cast in several places and then proceeded to measure the snow pants. Jen justified her actions knowing that he would need something to wear when he started back to school.  
  
After several minutes, “Okay, I think I know how to make these work.” Katniss and Peeta exchanged a hopeful glance. “Now, you two need to work out the logistics of how Peeta can move about outside without falling.” Jen was certain she gave them an insurmountable task, but Katniss pursed her lips in thought.  
  
Katniss turned her attention back to the front yard. “Wait a second. Primmy’s old sled. The one Daddy altered to make it safe for us to take her outside.” With that, she was off the couch and headed to the door where she grabbed her coat.  
  
Peeta’s smile widened. He remembered the sled that Blake had redesigned for Prim, and in his mind’s eye, it just might work for him too. A few minutes later, Katniss pushed through the door with the sled in tow.  
  
She was out of breath, as she placed it on the carpet. “I … I … I think it’s going to work, Peety. It’ll need some more remodeling, but I think it’s going to work.”  
  
Peeta pushed himself off the couch and grabbed his crutches. He made his way over to the old-fashioned sled with metal runners, and looked it over. It had definitely seen better days, but Peeta could see the potential.  
  
Katniss shed her coat and pushed it into the center of the room. After poking and prodding, the pair deemed the sled still strong as they began discussing ways to make it work. Peeta sketched and Katniss measured.  
  
Blake arrived home for lunch early. “Daddy,” Katniss greeted, “we found a way to take Peety outside.”

Blake looked down at his daughter and couldn’t help the smile that appeared as he looked into her imploring eyes. “How’s that?” Blake asked, but his eyes had already fixed on Primmy’s sled in the middle of the living room.  
  
Both children began to speak at once, excitedly telling him about the modifications needed to make it snow worthy for Peeta. He bent down and examined the sled and then scratched his head in contemplation.  
  
“It might work,” he muttered quietly. Peeta and Katniss smiled in unison. “Let’s see. I’ll take it down to my shop and work on it after lunch.”  
  
“You don’t need to get back to work?”  
  
“Not today, Kit Kat. I have comp time to use before the end of the year, so I have the rest of today and tomorrow, and of course, the weekend.” Jen smiled at the announcement. “So we can figure this out. We have to make sure it’s okay with your dad, Peeta.”  
  
Peeta nodded solemnly but was certain his dad would not deny him the opportunity to go outside. After all, he was the one who had brought his snow pants over in the first place.  
  
After lunch and true to his word, Blake took the sled to his basement workroom. The rest of the family could hear the sounds of a drill and hammer. An hour later, he brought the sled back upstairs and set it down in the middle of the living room.  
  
“Whoa!” Katniss exclaimed.  
  
“Awesome,” Peeta chimed in.  
  
Blake had taken it a step further than either Peeta or Katniss had dreamed. He mounted the seat portion of an old office chair to the bed of the sled, and constructed a brace at the bottom to prevent Peeta’s foot from slipping off the sled. Along both sides, Blake added handbrakes to prevent the sled from slipping out of control.  
  
“Well, Peeta, have a seat.”  
  
Peeta maneuvered over and sat down, spinning around and gingerly placing his casted leg in the bracket.  
  
“Good,” said Blake, as he knelt beside Peeta. “Now, I placed the seat just past the halfway point and extended the front to accommodate your foot so that it shouldn’t over-balance and tip.” Peeta nodded. “These are your brakes, and they should be able stabilize and stop it.” Peeta nodded again. “If we need to, we can add some weight to the front but I doubt that will be necessary.”  
  
“I can’t wait to try it out.”  
  
“We still need to ask your dad, and I have to build a short ramp so that it will be easier for you to get outside.”  
  
“It’s perfect, Daddy,” Katniss said as she rose on tiptoe to kiss his cheek.  
  
Jen brought his snow pants to him. “I slit the seam and then sewed elastic in to make them stretch over your cast. The velcro straps will enable you to close the flaps together to keep you warm.”  
  
With Katniss’s help, Peeta tried on his snow pants which now seemed perfect. The only flaw was his pink toes sticking out the end of cast.  
  
“I got this,” Blake said as he disappeared into his bedroom and returned with wool socks. He slipped one over the top of Peeta’s exposed foot and tucked his snow pants inside. “How’s that?” Blake asked.  
  
“Great!”  
  
“Hmmmm. I think you could use one more thing,” Blake went to the closet and brought back felt boot liners and slipped one over the top. “There you go. About as warm as we can make it. We’ll slip a plastic bag over the top to … .” The doorbell rang interrupting Blake. “Come in,” he called, still holding the bottom of Peeta’s foot.  
  
“Hey there. I closed up the shop early today. Business always drags after Christmas,” John brought a large bag of pastries with him, along with two kinds of bread.  
  
“Hey, Dad! Guess what! I’m going to get to go outside!” Peeta was too excited to ask if it was okay but he saw a wariness in his father’s eyes immediately.  
  
“Are you sure you’re ready to go outside? I mean, it’s only been three weeks and you haven’t even been fitted for your walking cast yet.  
  
“I’m sure, Dad. I need to get outside and play.”  
  
The look in Peeta’s eyes was almost heartbreaking. His little boy asked so little of him and it seemed like Jen and Blake were already well on their way to fulfilling his wish. “Okay then, let’s get you outside.”  
  
Katniss quickly brought Peeta his jacket, scarf, new hat and mittens before tugging on her own gear. She brought over his boot and helped him with it as Jen secured a black garbage bag over the top of his cast.  
  
“All set?” John asked, and Peeta nodded. He picked up his son to carry him outside while Blake carried the sled. Once outside, Blake set the sled down and John carefully placed Peeta on the seat, positioning his leg inside the brace. “How does that feel?”  
  
“Good. Perfect.” He tried pushing himself with his good leg but realized that he was basically just turning himself in a tight circle.  
  
“Foot up, Peety.” He obeyed quickly, and with a grunt, Katniss pushed him from behind headed for the largest snowbank. “Wait here,” she instructed, and then realized with a giggle that he did not have much choice. A minute later, she returned with two small shovels. “Okay. Teamwork. You scoop the snow to here, and I will shovel it away.”  
  
Peeta nodded and dug into the snowbank. After some minor adjustments, the pair had managed to scoop out a sizable amount of snow as Blake and John stood back watching.  
  
“They make quite a team, don’t they,” John commented.  
  
“Yes they do. Ever since they were little, they found a way to compliment each others strengths.”  
  
Eventually, John and Blake went inside for a snack. Peeta and Katniss declined because they were much too involved in planning their snow fort as Katniss was already on her belly passing the snow back to Peeta.  
  
A half hour later, they emerged to discover that Peeta and Katniss had switched places and now Peeta was inside the fort pushing the snow toward Katniss. He was lying on his side with his cast propped on his good leg. The men exchanged glances.  
  
“Peeta! How did you get in there?” John asked as he bent low to see inside the fort.  
  
Katniss blushed. “Hey Dad,” Peeta’s voice was muffled. “I always do the shaping of the inside. I just eased off the sled and unto the ground and scooted inside. I’m fine. Really.” Peeta went back to work pushing the snow from the inside out.  
  
Blake raised his eyebrows as John shrugged. “Be careful so you don’t get too cold.”  
  
“I will Dad. That’s why I’m laying on this side,” he indicated his position as if it made perfect sense, and then continued digging.  
  
An hour later, both Katniss and Peeta were ready to go inside for hot chocolate. Their cheeks were rosy and their eyes were bright. “Daddy?” Katniss looked at her father steadily, “Can you work on the ramp so that Peety and I can go out whenever we want.” Blake nodded. “Thank you, Daddy!”  
  
Over the remaining days of Christmas vacation, and even after she returned to school, Katniss and Peeta spent every possible moment outside. The ramp that Blake made remained on the house until the house was sold after his death. The sled, however, remained with them through moves and even after they grew to be adults. A happy reminder of one of Peeta’s favorite memories from his childhood. Later, Peeta would show the sled to his own children and tell them all about the ingenious grandfather they would never know.


	15. Coming to Terms

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hunger Games characters belong to Suzanne Collins.
> 
> Thanks for the feeback!

“Aloho-moora,” Peeta shouted as he brandished the short dowel about.  
  
“Peeta, it’s not, ‘Aloho-moora,” Katniss said with an expansive roll of her eyes, “it’s ‘Aloha (emphasizing the ä sound) mora.’”  
  
It was Peeta’s turn to roll his eyes, the only thing about Katniss that he disliked just a little (if he were perfectly honest) was that she sometimes corrected his Harry Potter spell pronunciation. Without breaking character, Peeta answered, “All right, Hermione," (emphasizing the name to remind her that he had managed to stay in character). Both he and Katniss had been surprised to learn the pronunciation of Hermione’s name when the movie debuted the previous summer.  
  
Taken aback, she retaliated, “Honestly, Peeta, sometimes you are more ‘Ron’ than ‘Harry.’”  
  
Peeta’s face flushed and his ears burned. He liked Ron, and probably wouldn’t mind pretending to be him when they played Harry Potter, but he was convinced that by the time the seventh book came out, Hermione would be kissing Harry and not Ron. Because of this, he preferred playing Harry, even though, as Katniss pointed out, his hair was much more suited to Draco Malfoy. Therefore, he considered it a huge insult in the way Katniss had flung the words at him.  
  
“I don’t want to play anymore,” Peeta said quietly, and placed his makeshift wand on the table. He had been living with the Everdeen’s for three weeks as of the previous day, while he recovered from the accident. Katniss had spent every spare moment with him but lately she had been peevish, and he didn’t understand why.  
  
As for Peeta, he was hardly in the best mood himself for the past week. He was still trying to wrap his head around his father’s confession. His dad arrived early for his visit a week ago. As usual, he brought pastries for everyone and then asked for a few minutes alone with Peeta. Of all the things Peeta had expected to hear, the fact that Judy Glimmer was his half-sister was not one of them.  
  
His first reaction was denial, then he had to admit that anger followed quickly. He did not fully understand the mechanics of having a baby but he knew that his father must have done something wrong. What were his words? “Peeta, I cheated on your mother before you were born and it resulted in a pregnancy. You have a sister, Peeta, and her name is Judy Glimmer.”  
  
Cheating was a sin, at least according to Pastor Heavensbee. (Peeta found his name ironic given his profession.) Pastor Heavensbee had admonished his congregation a few months ago that they must never succumb to the temptation of cheating, be it at cards or school or “other situations that arise when we are adults.” Peeta tried to reconcile his father’s words with what he knew to be cheating, and couldn’t quite figure out how a card game lead to the existence of a sister.  
  
His father left soon after, and had barely visited since. Peeta, meanwhile, vacillated between denial, anger and acceptance. He was quieter that normal, and two days earlier Jen had opened the conversation with him.  
  
“Peeta, do you want to talk about what your father told you last weekend?”  
  
Shocked, he drew back, “You know?” He was mortified that Jen knew. What would she think of his father?  
  
“Yes, Peeta, I know.” Jen herself, had been surprised by the news and still felt a bit angry toward John. His actions were worse than when they were teenagers. Then, his cheating only affected the two of them, but his more recent indiscretion affected his wife and sons, and of course, his daughter, who he had not recognized in the ten years since her birth. But Jen had urged John to tell the truth to his family and Judy. Now, though, after seeing Peeta’s reaction, she wasn’t sure it had been the right course of action. Maybe waiting a little longer would have been prudent.  
  
“My dad cheated,” Peeta mumbled, parroting his father’s word. “And I have a sister named Judy.” Saying it out loud made it seem significantly more real and he swallowed hard.  
  
“Half-sister, Peeta.” He looked up quickly. “Judy is your half-sister. You share a father but not a mother.”  
  
That bit of information did little to console Peeta. In fact, his heart raced at the thought that his father may have wanted a daughter so he purposely got someone else pregnant. That knowledge caused a nauseous wave to overwhelm him. If he were honest, he knew more about the mechanics of having a baby than he admitted. Two older brothers and a lot of late night discussions about girls had provided an interesting, if somewhat misguided, introduction to sex.  
  
Based on what he knew, his father had likely been naked with Judy’s mother and that caused a shiver to run down his spine. He also knew that his father had likely not worn a “papa-stopper” whatever that was. As everything came together, he suddenly had a clearer picture as to what his father’s cheating meant and anger returned with a vengeance.  
  
Jen read the emotions flit across his face. “Peeta, your dad loves you very much,” she started.  
  
Peeta shrugged as if that information was secondary to the issue. Jen was silent for a moment, wondering what she could say to the normally affable little boy. Finally, he broke the silence, “Did he want a girl that much?” His tone was pleading and his eyes were filled with fear. Maybe his father was just like his mother and really just wanted a daughter.  
  
“No, Peeta, that’s not what this was all about.”  
  
“But then why did he cheat with Judy Glimmer’s mother?”  
  
Jen sighed, and wondered whether it would be better to leave the conversation to Blake, who would be home for lunch shortly. “Peeta,” she started again, “your father didn’t do what he did to have a daughter. It doesn't work that way. The mother doesn't determine the sex of the child." The front door opened abruptly and Blake entered, shaking snow from his coat. “Oh, Blake, could you come here for a moment?”  
  
Blake took in the scene before him and sensed the topic of conversation before Jen neatly summarized it for him. Blake sat down on the couch beside Peeta and threw his arm around him drawing him close. He knew the little boys fears.  
  
“Peeta, what happened between your father and Mrs. Glimmer shouldn’t have happened because both of them were married to other people. But it did. Have you ever done something that you probably should not have done?” Peeta nodded quickly, thinking about how he had puffed a cigarette that Jo had brought to school several weeks before. “Yeah, well, grownups do things that they shouldn’t do too, and sometimes there are consequences. You know what consequences are?”  
  
Peeta nodded again. The consequence for puffing on the cigarette had been the episode of vomiting that followed.  
  
“Well, in this case, it was a baby. A little girl. But you know, it’s not her fault and really her mom and your dad should have told you from the start. It would have been better and easier for everyone. But they didn’t. Your dad though, Peeta, has paid a steep price for keeping it hidden all these years.” Peeta looked doubtful. “He loves you very much, Peeta, and trust me, you are the very last person he would want to see hurt by all this.”  
  
Blake had carefully steered away from the term “mistake” because he didn’t want to convey the idea that Judy was a mistake.  
  
Peeta was silent for awhile as he considered Blake’s words. He felt better about the whole situation but there were still some aspects that haunted him. “Will … will Judy be staying at our house now?”  
  
“No, I expect that she will stay right where she’s always lived. She might come for visits though.”  
  
Peeta mulled this over before asking. “Will she call him Dad?”  
  
“I don’t know, Peeta. There’s still a lot to work out but you need to remember that it must be pretty shocking to Judy as well. Her life kind of turned upside down with the information too.” Peeta nodded.  
  
“You okay?”  
  
“I’ll be okay,” and for the first time in days, Peeta felt like his words were true. Blake squeezed him tightly before standing up and moving to the kitchen.  “Uh, Blake?” Blake turned back. “Have you … do you have any other kids? I mean besides Katniss and Prim.” He was embarrassed for asking.  
  
Blake’s face softened. “Why yes, Peeta, I do.” Peeta’s eyes rounded at the information. “I have a son who’s about as perfect a son as any could be." Peeta swallowed hard and he was afraid that tears would threaten. “But I’m not his biological father. That is, I didn’t have anything to do with his creation.”  
  
“Who?” Peeta whispered.  
  
“Well, I’ll give you a hint. He’s blonde and blue-eyed with a winning smile, and he’s the star quarterback of the fifth grade football team.” It took Peeta a second to catch up.  
  
“Me?” He grinned tentatively.  
  
“Yes you, Peeta. You’re about a close to a son as I have and who knows someday that might be official.” He smiled as he gathered Peeta into a hug which he reciprocated.  
  
After a few seconds, Peeta pulled back and faltered a bit. “So you never cheated on Mom?” Blake understood Peeta’s question which might have been awkward under other circumstances.  
  
“No Peeta, I have never cheated.” He sat down again, feeling the need to explain to the ten-year-old.  “You see, when I met Jen, I knew she was it for me. I didn’t want anyone else. I only wanted her. When you are older you will probably understand this better.” Peeta was certain he understood him now. “Jen is the only woman I’ve ever wanted and she’s the only woman I will ever want. Peeta, my wedding vows mean everything to me and I would never risk losing Jen for a few stolen moments.”  
  
Peeta nodded. “Me either, Blake. I won’t ever cheat. I don’t want anyone else either.” He spoke with such determination that Blake couldn’t help but smile. Even though Katniss’s name was never mentioned, the implication was clear.  
  
Peeta’s words were prophetic. While Blake never lived to see the man Peeta would become, he would have been happy that the little boy’s words were like a solemn oath, never to be broken. No other girl turned his head as he grew from boy to man, and even after, there was only one girl for Peeta.  
  
The conversation with Blake had done much to quell his fears but he was still preoccupied and distracted. So, as the Harry Potter game came to an end, he looked toward Katniss. Her eyes were troubled as she looked at him before flinging herself down in the chair.  
  
Silence permeated the room until finally Katniss muttered, “Maybe you would prefer to play with Judy Glimmer.”  
  
Peeta’s eyes widened in surprise. “What?”  
  
“Nothing,” she said sharply, as she jumped to her feet and bounded up the stairs. She pulled herself up into her bunk and let out an exasperated sigh before the tears fell. This is how it would end. Her friendship with Peeta was over after more than half her lifetime. Peeta had been acting weird all week, and she knew it had something to do with Judy Glimmer. Her stomach flipped as she recalled the conversation between Peeta and his dad. She had been eavesdropping and only really made out Judy’s name but still, Peeta had been distant ever since.  
  
The door creaked open and she heard the methodical thump of Peeta’s crutches. He stopped in front of the bed. “How did you find out?” His voice was barely a whisper.  
  
“It doesn’t matter,” she croaked. “It’s okay … if you … want to … be … her friend.” There, it was out.  
  
Peeta was speechless for a second. Then, “Her friend?” His tone was confused. “Just because she’s my sister, doesn’t mean we have to be friends, does it?”  
  
It was Katniss’s turn to be confused. “Sister? Peeta what are you talking about.”  
  
Only then did Peeta realize that he and Katniss were on two very different pages.  With a defeated shrug, he laid his head on his arm wondering if Katniss would think less of him with the knowledge that he was related by blood to the girl who had made her life miserable through the years. The tears began to flow as he recounted the details of his father’s confession. Sometimes his voice was so low she could barely hear him.  
  
After he was finished speaking, his shoulders shook as the sobs took over. It took Katniss only a moment to slide out of her bed and slide her arms around him. “Shhhh, Peeta, it’s okay. Everything is going to be okay.” She couldn’t quite explain the relief she felt that Peeta was not replacing her. He could only nod, though, as his tears continued.  
  
Peeta felt betrayed by his father, and that accounted for the majority of tears. But he was also embarrassed that his father had done something that he regarded as so selfish. Peeta was scheduled to go back to school the following Monday, but instead of looking forward to seeing the rest of his friends, he was dreading his first encounter with Judy.  
  
Eventually, Katniss managed to maneuver him to the lower bunk where she joined him. “Peeta, it’s not your fault, you know.”  
  
“Yeah, but you know how people talk.” Katniss did know how people talked. Especially how Judy, Clove, Storm and Dallas talked. She had been called “Seam Trash” or a variant of it, since kindergarten.  
  
“It doesn’t change who you are, though Peeta.” Those were the same words he had spoken to her countless times through the years. “Now, if you don’t believe it, then we have a real problem because isn’t that what you always say to me?”  
  
He couldn’t help the grin that spread across his face at her words. “Peeta, we’ll get through this together.” Her words had such a finality about them that he smiled once more.  
  
“Together,” he answered her quietly.  
  
“By the way, Peeta. You are the best Harry Potter ever.”


	16. Determination

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait ... Thanks for reading!
> 
> The Hunger Games characters belong to Suzanne Collins.

“Peety, slow down,” Katniss pleaded, as the tattoo of Peeta’s crutches beat out a rhythmic pattern on the high gloss floors.  
  
“I don’t want to be late,” Peeta panted, as he turned his head and Katniss saw that his curls were matted to his forehead.  
  
“Stop,” she said with a commanding tone. “Peeta stop!” She pulled his coat sleeve gently, guiding him toward the brick wall. “I’m carrying two backpacks,” she said by way of explanation. To emphasize, she hurled her’s to the floor and leaned against the wall dramatically.  
“Sorry,” he panted, as he leaned next to her.  
  
“S’okay,” she muttered, but she looked him over with concern. It was his first day back in school. The doctor had finally given his clearance; although, he had suggested strongly that Peeta use a wheelchair during the day. Peeta, though, had not wanted to attract attention.  
  
Unfortunately, the moment he passed through the double doors, he had attracted whispers and finger pointing. He preferred being anonymous. Scratch that. It went beyond a preference. He hated being the object of everyone’s attention.  
  
Katniss reached up and tugged his knit cap from his head and fluffed his curls a bit. “Let me take your jacket.” Peeta didn’t object. He was hot and sweaty from the exertion and steadied himself as Katniss helped him out of his jacket. His breathing had calmed enough and he looked around. They had made it to the hallway that led to the fifth grade pods.  
  
“Ready?” Katniss asked and Peeta gave a single nod in return. “Okay, Peety. We’re going to put everything in my locker.” He nodded again as he started off down the hall.  
  
His cast was heavy, extending from the his foot all the way up his thigh, ending just a few inches below his crotch. In addition to being heavy, it was awkward beyond belief because the doctor had fastened a sort of heal to it that allowed him to step on it. The heal, though, added to the height and weight and instead of making him more mobile, had the exact opposite effect. If he stepped on the cast, it raised his other foot nearly five inches off the ground, and it no longer glided smoothly with his crutches either.  
  
They finally reached Katniss’s locker and he was exhausted. He was literally gasping, as if he had run a race. His face was flushed and his shirt was damp.  
  
Katniss deliberately slowed putting everything in her locker to give him time to catch his breath. Their classroom was just a few feet away. “Ready?” Katniss questioned again and Peeta headed toward the open door.  
  
“Morning, Mr. Brown,” Peeta said through a half grimace.  
  
“Good morning, Peeta. Katniss.” Mr. Brown looked up from his reading and watched their slow progress to the back of the room.  
  
They sat quietly, neither speaking, which was unusual for them. Peeta still had several weeks left in his cast and Katniss worried that returning to school was not in his best interest. But Peeta was determined.  
  
Their classmates soon filed in from the playground where they had spent the chilly morning. “Hey Peeta,” Johanna greeted as she looked him over. “Still ugly as ever I see.” She laughed at her own joke as she reached inside her desk for the permanent marker she had stolen from the teacher for this very purpose. She quickly knelt beside him and inked her name near the juncture of his knee. Up until that moment, the only signatures he had on the cast were Katniss (nine times), Prim (twice), Blake, Jen, his dad and Derrick.  
  
“Hey, Jo, me next,” Darius said loudly as he reached for the pen and sloppily scrawled his name in the vicinity of Katniss’s first message. The line formed quickly and soon everyone in the class was signing his cast. Mr. Brown decided to ask the neighboring classrooms to join in and, since Peeta was so popular, everyone enthusiastically signed their names.  
  
Well, almost everyone. Dallas Marvel took the pen and left only a dot. Storm Cato signed only his initials. But it was Judy Glimmer’s appearance that resulted in an awkward pause. Something had changed since the last time her saw her. She bent quickly, avoiding eye contact, and scrawled Judy Glimmer “M” in tiny print and then handed the marker to the boy behind her.  
  
The parade of cast signers took forty-five minutes as some chose to chat a bit. Peeta was exhausted to his very core and laid his head on his desk. The teacher ignored him for awhile, but grew increasingly alarmed as he slept the morning away. Finally, just before lunch, as the other students were getting ready for recess, he laid a hand on Peeta’s shoulders.  
  
“Hey, Peet.”  
  
Peeta startled and stretched as he sat up, blinking against the bright lights in the room. “Sorry,” he muttered, a flush coloring his cheeks. “Must have fallen asleep.”  
  
“That’s okay, Peet. I’m going to call Mrs. Everdeen to pick you up though.”  
  
“No,” Peeta said with more force than he intended.  
  
“Hey, boy,” Coach Abernathy’s voice startled him.  
  
“Hey.”  
  
“I heard you were back and had to come on check on my star player.”  
  
Peeta flushed, realizing that the coach likely had a lot of things to do besides visiting his the ten-year-old quarterback of the fifth grade team. The coach pushed away from the door frame and settled into Katniss’s desk.  
  
“How you doing, boy?”  
  
“Okay. Just a little worn out I guess.”  
  
Haymitch nodded. “You look it. Too much too soon if my guess is correct. When I was twelve I broke my ankle jumping out of barn loft and he … ck, I thought I could make my way around with that heavy old cast weighing me down.” He knocked against the casing. “Plaster?” Peeta shrugged. “Wonder why they didn’t go with fiberglass for you?” The question was rhetorical.  
  
“Son, I think you should go home today. Get some rest and tackle tomorrow … well tomorrow.” Peeta respected the coach and if he thought he should go home, then he should probably go home.”  
  
“Call, Mom … er, Jen,” Peeta sighed in defeat and Mr. Brown hurried to the wall phone as Coach Abernathy and Peeta continued to talk.  
  
A minute later, Mr. Brown returned. “She’ll be here in ten minutes.”  
  
“Can you call Katniss back in. I don’t want her to worry about me.”  
  
“Sure thing,” Mr. Brown said and left to find Katniss on the playground.  
  
Peeta looked at Haymitch who was looking at him curiously. “You sweet on her boy?” Peeta flushed under his scrutiny.  
  
“Ummm.”  
  
“It’s okay, boy, if you are. A lot of boys has crushes.” Peeta nodded, but could not bring himself to look him in the eye.  
  
Moments later, Katniss burst through the door. “You okay?” She rushed to his side.  
  
“Yeah, just tired,” Peeta assured her. “I’m going home and rest.”  
  
Katniss pursed her lips and silently appraised him. His skin tone was paler than usual, and his eyes did not sparkle with their usual warmth. “Good. I’ll get your assignments and we can work on them after school today. I’ll get your coat.”  
  
Peeta nodded again, feeling slightly embarrassed that Katniss had to help him so much. She returned moments later carrying his coat, hat and mittens. “Maybe you should ask for a wheelchair, Peeta,” she suggested in what she hoped was an unconcerned manner. The truth was, she was worried about him.  
  
Peeta quickly shook his head no. “I’ll be okay,” he said as Jen entered the room, her brow lined with worry.  
  
“Peeta? How are you feeling?” She brushed his curls to the side as she felt his forehead. “You don’t feel warm.”  
  
“I’m just tired. That’s all.”  
  
“It’s that da…rn cast, if you ask me,” Haymitch said. “Why didn’t they go with a fiberglass one?”  
  
Jen nodded in agreement. “I’m going to call your doctor, Peeta, and see if there’s an alternative for you.”  
  
Forty-five minutes later, Peeta was perched on the examining table trying to keep his nerves under control as he and Jen awaited the entrance of the doctor.  
  
“You okay?” Jen asked softly as she brushed his bangs to the side.  
  
Peeta leaned slightly into her touch, and nodded silently.  
  
Just then the door opened and the doctor entered. “Well, Peeta, I hear you are tired of lugging this beast around, huh?” He knocked twice on the plaster monstrosity that encased Peeta’s leg. Peeta shrugged in response.  
  
“Ordinarily, I wouldn’t want to disturb the healing process, but I’m going to go ahead and x-ray it and see where we’re at. Okay? Now lay back and bring your other leg to the side.”  
  
Peeta laid back as the doctor positioned the film under his leg. “All right, Peeta, I’m going to take a few pictures, so I need you as still as possible.”  
  
“Okay,” Peeta breathed. The doctor draped the lead blanket over the top of him.  
  
“This way, Jen,” he said as he escorted her behind the protective wall.  
  
For the next several minutes, the doctor took x-rays and repositioned his leg. Afterward, he asked Peeta about his pain level.  
  
“It’s not the pain really. There’s not much, it’s just hard to move around now with that thing on the bottom.”  
  
The doctor nodded sympathetically and began prodding his toes, periodically asking if it hurt. Finally, the x-rays arrived and the doctor switched on the lighted screens on the wall, placing the film in the holder with practiced hands.  
  
Peeta tucked his chin slightly as he stared at the images. “Is that my leg?”  
  
“Mmmhmm,” the doctor intoned as he used his pen to trace the edge of one of the fractures.  
  
“Why is it glowing?” Peeta asked, horror creeping into his tone.  
  
The doctor chuckled. “It’s not glowing, Peeta. The bones show up white on an x-ray. This is your femur, Peeta, the long bone in your upper leg. It was badly broken so I had to use a rod to hold it together.”  
  
Peeta shuddered.  
  
“Now here are your lower leg bones. There are two of them, and they were broken as well, although in a much neater fashion if you will. They too, are nearly healed. I don’t usually like to disturb the process but I do believe that it would benefit you for the future if you were a bit more mobile. So, I will remove your old cast and replace it with a fiberglass cast if your dad agrees.”  
  
As if on cue, the door opened and a nurse escorted a worried looking John into the room. “Ah, thanks for coming down here, Mr. Mellark,” the doctor smiles and held out his hand. “I have a few things to discuss.”  
  
After the doctor explained the process, John turned to Peeta. “You want to do this?”  
  
“Yes,” Peeta said with hesitation.  
  
“All right then. We’ll do it.” The doctor nodded and prepared the saw for cast removal. “You are going to feel a vibration. Maybe even a tickling sensation.” It took several minutes but finally his leg was free and the doctor carefully cut away the liner.  
  
Peeta gasped when he saw the angry looking scar on his thigh. “That’s where your bone broke through,” the doctor explained, and Peeta felt light-headed.  
  
“Poked through?” Peeta asked weakly.  
  
“Yes, that’s why I used the rod that you see in the pictures.”  
  
“Will I … will I be able to play football again?” His lip quivered.  
  
The doctor pursed his lips. “I won’t rule it out. You will need significant therapy when you are healed, but you will likely return to full strength.”  
  
Peeta breathed a shaky sigh of relief.  
  
“Okay, now to choose the color. We have red, blue, green, purple.”  
  
“For what?”  
  
“Your new cast, Peeta. You can have any color you wish. Blue?”  
  
Peeta shook his head. “Do you have orange?”  
  
The doctor arched his brow in surprise, “I believe so.” He turned back to the cabinet and took out several rolls of the orange. “I think we’ll use a waterproof liner to make it a little easier for you to bathe.”  
  
In Peeta’s estimation, the process to reapply the cast took a long time, and the color wasn’t the exact shade of orange that he preferred. But when it was finished, he couldn’t believe his eyes. “Awesome!” The three adults smiled at his reaction.  
  
“You’ll need to sit here for a few minutes and then you should be ready to go. It takes an hour to dry completely, but you’ll be able to leave in about twenty minutes. The nurse will give you a few instructions. Have a good day.”  
  
A half hour later, Peeta was in the backseat of Jen’s car as they made their way back home. He couldn’t believe how light the cast was in comparison to the plaster one. Peeta stared out the window at the falling snow and imagined how much easier it would be to get around now that he wasn’t so encumbered.  
  
“Your father is going to pick up some new sweatpants for you, Peeta, so that you won’t have to wear your cutoff pants anymore.”  
  
“Can I go to school tomorrow?”  
  
Jen hesitated a moment. “Do you want to?”  
  
“Yes,” Peeta answered immediately. “I miss being with my friends,” Peeta sighed heavily as he stared out the window. “I miss Katniss and … .” His voice trailed off causing Jen to glance in the mirror at him.  
  
“And,” she prompted.  
  
Peet inhaled sharply. “I’m afraid she’s going to find a new best friend.”  
  
“Oh Peeta,” Jen said as she turned into the driveway. “You and Katniss will always be best friends. She doesn’t make friends that easily.”  
  
He nodded jerkily. “I guess.”  
  
“Don't you worry, Peeta.”  
  
An hour later, Katniss arrived with Prim in tow. She carried Peeta’s backpack that seemed to be overflowing with books. Her eyes widened in surprise when she took in his orange cast.  
  
“Is that real?” Katniss questioned incredulously.  
  
Peeta nodded, a blush coloring his cheeks. Maybe orange wasn’t the best idea.  
  
“Cool,” she knelt quickly in front of him running her hand of the side. Peeta quickly filled in her about his new cast and how he was now able to navigate easier.  
  
A slight frown creased her brow. “What happened to the other one?”  
  
“It’s in the trunk of the car,” Jen answered. “Blake will bring it in later.”  
  
Katniss seemed distracted. “Umm, are you going to have everyone sign this one?”  
  
“Do you want to sign it?”  
  
She quickly shook her head no, and Peeta felt his face fall. “I think you should keep it like this until the very last day, and then I’ll sign it.”  
  
“Why?” Peeta’s brow puckered.  
  
“No reason. I just don’t think you need all the girls and everyone else signing your cast. That’s all.”  
  
“Oh,” was all Peeta could think of as he looked her wondering why it would matter.  
  
That evening, Blake brought in Peeta’s old cast.  
  
“I’ll take it,” Katniss volunteered.  
  
“I thought Peeta might like to read everything that people wrote,”Blake said as he attempted to pass it to Peeta.  
  
“He already has, haven’t you Peeta?”  
  
Bewildered, Peeta could only nod.  
  
“Oh, all right. Well, I’ll just put it in … .”  
  
“I got it, Daddy,” said Katniss, as she took the cast from him and hurried up the stairs.  
  
“Huh,” Blake muttered as everyone stared after her. “Wonder what that was all about?”  
  
Blake never would know for certain, and years would pass before Peeta would find out what “that was all about.” One hot summer day, he was busy packing boxes in the attic as the family prepared to move to their new house, when his hands landed on the long-forgotten plaster cast.  
  
He picked it up gently and shifted to the light as he began reading the inscriptions of his classmates. Johanna’s made him both laugh and blush: “Hey Blondie, I can make your time in the cast a lot less boring if you know what I mean.” Jo had grown up way too fast.  
  
His fingers traced over Judy’s shaky “M”. Things still remained awkward and strange but now he just felt sorry for her.  
  
Next, he came across one of Katniss’s poems: “Roses are red. Katniss is not. It’s time for bed. On your cot.” Peeta grinned as he thought back to that night. Blake and Jen had made popcorn and allowed the kids to stay up and watch a scary movie. That resulted in neither of them being able to sleep, which eventually led to a bet that she couldn’t write a poem with her name in it.  
  
Most of the signatures and phrases were on the top and sides. But as he turned it over, Peeta saw writing at the back of the knee. He held it up and read, “Peeta, I love you more than almost anyone and I don’t know what I would ever do without you. Please stay with me always. Love, Katniss.”  
  
In that moment he remembered the rush she was in that night years before to hide the cast from him, and his heart leapt a bit. Katniss loved him. She had said it before, but it almost seemed like a throwaway phrase. Seeing it in writing made it all the more real. He quickly shoved the cast in a box, and headed downstairs.  
  
Katniss was in the kitchen packing dishes. “Hey, you done already?”  
  
In spite of the fact that her hair was a bit messy and she had a smudge on her nose, Peeta thought she was beautiful. They were both only fourteen, but Peeta was pretty sure that Katniss was it for him. In fact, he had been sure of that fact for several years.  
  
“I found my cast.”  
  
“What cast?” Katniss questioned distractedly. “Oh. The old one? The orange one?”  
  
“No, the other one.”  
  
“Oh,” she answered going back to her packing. Moments later, “Oh … oh, the cast. Oh.” She appeared a bit panicked.  
  
“Yeah, and Katniss, I read what you wrote.” Katniss blushed deeply remembering her words. She was just about to defend her ten-year-old self when Peeta spoke again. “I will never, ever leave you. Okay?” His voice was quiet.  
  
She couldn’t speak at first, so she merely nodded. Peeta had always been there for her. In the two years since her dad died, the only consistency in her life was Peeta Mellark.  
  
“I won’t leave you either,” she promised in a whisper.  
  
He held up his pinky. “Swear?”  
  
“Swear.”  
  
“Always.”


	17. The Parents - The Ultimatum

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another outtake from "The Parents"
> 
> Enjoy!

Peeta shifted from one foot to another and winced slightly as he struggled to ease the pain in his bad leg. Eleven weeks in a cast, and two weeks in this soft cast had taken its toll on his stamina. He huffed out a breath, and attempted to wipe his brow on his t-shirt sleeve.  
  
The bakery was hot for this time of year. It wasn’t yet spring and still the thermometer outside measured seventy-five degrees. It was still too early to switch the boilers off and turn the coolers on, so the bakery kitchen was downright miserable.  
  
“Peeta,” his mother’s sharp voice cut through his misery. “Hurry up and finish. There’s another tray almost ready to come out of the oven.” Peeta sighed as he returned to decorating the naked cupcakes in front of him. Shamrocks, leprechauns, and tiny pots of gold topped the small mounds of cake.  
  
“Mom?” JJ raised his voice above the din of the mixer. Cynthia quickly turned toward her oldest son. Her favorite son. “St. Patty’s day is hardly one of our big sale days. Why are we busting our … hinies to make dozens of cupcakes that might not even sell?”  
  
JJ had a point and Cynthia knew it, but her stubbornness won out. “Because our profits have been in the dumpster these past few months and we need to increase sales wherever we can.”  
  
No one mentioned that her projected profits hit the skids the moment that Peeta collided with the car. In spite of being just ten-years-old, Peeta’s reputation as a decorator was already widely known. The fancy cupcakes he decorated had quickly become one of their top sellers. Tiny pieces of frosted art.  
  
Peeta quickly finished a pot of gold, and turned his attention to the rainbow.  
  
“Mom, I got a date tonight,” JJ complained.  
  
“All right dear. As soon as those next cupcakes are ready you can leave.” Her voice was sugary sweet and made Peeta want to vomit, but he was afraid if he did, she would make him clean it up and continue anyway.  
  
He stole a quick glance at the clock. Almost six and a Friday night to boot. He missed the Everdeens bustling household. It would almost be time for dinner and Katniss would be complaining about setting the table and Prim would be trying to help out by setting the silverware on in the wrong order. Peeta almost grinned, but then he remembered where he was at and why, and it made him wince again.  
  
After his hard cast came off two weeks before, his mother was quick to insist that he could come back to work in the bakery. His after school shifts left him tired and weak, and the previous weekend he had only spent Sunday with the Everdeens.  
  
On the plus side, he did see Jen on a near daily basis as she picked him up for physical therapy four mornings a week. It was his mother’s decision to schedule his therapy at six o’clock each day because she reasoned he was accustomed to baker’s hours. Her unstated reason, of course, was to free him up for a shift at the bakery. But the therapy really wiped him out and he struggled through the school day. The bakery shift was almost too much.  
  
“You’ve gone soft, Peeta,” Cynthia chided one evening at the supper table. “We need to toughen you up again.”  
  
His father cleared his throat but didn’t say anything. Derrick eyed his mother angrily as he cut another piece of pork chop. Ever since the so-called accident, the middle son had been a boiling pot of rage. But if Cynthia noticed, she didn’t comment.  
  
“The Everdeens spoiled you, waiting on you hand and foot.”  
  
Peeta wanted to argue, but he knew it was pointless. He had carried his share of the weight, helping prepare meals and picking up after himself. He folded clothes and made his bed.  
  
Peeta had looked at his father hoping he would intervene but he just sat by stirring his food. Ever since John had confessed to the family his affair from eleven years prior and the fact that he was Judy Glimmer’s father, he had been walking on eggshells.  
  
Cynthia had played the divorce card. At first he was relieved, but then she showed the rest of her hand. She would claim alienation of affection and tell the judge that John had never been faithful. A lie of course, because since Peeta’s birth he had never strayed. But then Cynthia told him that she would petition for full custody of the kids and would likely be be awarded custody.  
  
JJ was old enough that it did not matter. In fact, he would probably choose to go with his mother. Derrick too was approaching the age when he could decide between his parents, and would probably go with his dad. But it was Peeta, who was only ten, that would have no choice in the matter. He couldn’t do that to him, so he bowed to Cynthia’s wishes and pretended to be happy in his marriage.  
  
Still, Peeta did not understand his father’s seeming unwillingness to help him.  
  
Now, as he stood by the counter, he willed his hands to work faster. The pots of gold with the tiny rainbows were easiest and he found himself automatically decorating the majority of the cupcakes with them.  
  
“Peeta,” Cynthia said exasperatedly from directly behind him. “What are you doing? Leprechauns, Peeta. More leprechauns.”  
  
Peeta sighed again, but then an idea hit him. He swiftly covered the top of the cupcake in flesh colored fondant, topping it with a green hat with buckle, eyes, nose, mouth and mustache and he had a perfect leprechaun face.  
  
“Hmmm. I like it,” Cynthia said grudgingly. “Make the rest of the cupcakes with that design.”  
  
Peeta grinned. Not at her compliment, but rather the fact that it was by far the simplest, quickest design aside from a four leaf clover (which already covered five dozen cupcakes).  
  
After a half hour, Peeta called out, “Done!” It wasn’t his mother that appeared from the office, but rather his father.  
  
“Looks great!” John said as he surveyed his son’s work. Peeta kept his eyes down and nodded. His father knew that Peeta wasn’t happy with his seeming lack of support. John quickly began placing some of Peeta’s newest creations on a silver tray.  
  
“Peeta?” He waited a moment until Peeta’s eyes met his. “I called Blake a little while ago, and he will be over here in a few minutes to pick you up.” Peeta’s eyes brightened immediately, and a lopsided grin spread across his face. “You can spend the weekend over there, relax a little bit before you have to get back to school on Monday.”  
  
“But, I’m supposed to work the early shift tomorrow. If Mom … .”  
  
“Peeta, listen to me. I’ll take care of it. I promise. You deserve a nice relaxing weekend and you’ve barely had any chance to see Katniss since you came back home.”  
  
Peeta hesitated just a moment longer, before rushing into the storeroom to collect his coat. “Thanks, Dad.” Moments later, he emerged with his blue windbreaker and baseball cap.  
  
“Son, have a seat while you wait. Peeta limped to the stool and climbed up, groaning slightly as he did. His father watched him with concern. “How’s the leg, Peet?”  
  
“Okay. Hurts a little when I stand too much.”  
  
“I’ll get you a nice high chair so you can do your work.” Peeta nodded. “What’s the therapist say?”  
  
“Plenty of rest. Walk but don’t run. Elevate for swelling. Don’t overuse it.”  
  
A look of guilt found it’s way to his father’s eyes. “Peeta, I’m sorry, you know. I wish I could make it all better. I wish that your mother would ease up on you. I’m worried, though, that if I say something, it’ll be worse.” Peeta just nodded.  
  
“I love you, Peeta. I’ll try. I promise, I’ll try to keep her away from you.”  
  
“It’s okay, Dad. Really. That’s the way she is with me. I don’t need her anyway. I have Jen. She’s more like a mom to me than she is.”  
  
The words were out there, and it wasn’t a big leap for John to imagine that Blake was more of a father to him than he was. Jealousy flared just as he the door swung open revealing Blake. For a moment, John wanted to revoke the weekend with the Everdeens, but better judgement and his love of Peeta won out.  
  
He turned to Blake, “Here for my boy?”  
  
“Yep!” Blake responded with a smile. “Ready for a weekend of Dr. Mario, Peety?” Peeta laughed as he moved carefully from the stool. “Katniss was so excited. She’s even got a bunch of videos ready for an all-night marathon, if you’re up to it.”  
  
“‘Home Alone’?” Peeta questioned.  
  
“But of course, and ‘The Adams Family’, and a few others.”  
  
“I’m just glad we’re not going to watch ‘Home Alone 2’. It’s lame.”  
  
“So lame,” Blake responded with a wink. “But you’ll probably have to watch ‘Free Willy’ for about the ninetieth time.”  
  
“That’s okay. That I can take.”  
  
Peeta was smiling and laughing like John hadn’t seen him since he arrived home. He was once again a ten-year-old, carefree and happy. “Peeta, do you want to bring some of the special cupcakes with you?”  
  
“Oh yeah! But … .”  
  
“Go ahead and pick out a dozen.” Peeta grabbed a box and filled it with Leprechaun faces, little Leprechauns jumping over a pot of gold and even some of the pot of gold cupcakes, but steered clear of the four leaf clover cupcakes.  
  
“Have you had dinner yet, Peeta?” Blake inquired.  
  
“Uhh, not yet,” Peeta said, as he glanced toward the clock.  
  
“Good. We held supper for you. Katniss made spaghetti.”  
  
“Katniss did?” Peeta asked doubtfully. There were a lot of things that Katniss did well but cooking was not one of them.  
  
“Yep, Jen supervised.”  
  
“Oh. That’s good.” The words escaped his mouth and he quickly clamped a hand over his lips. “I mean … .”  
  
“No. You’re right, Peeta. Supervision of Katniss in the kitchen is a good thing.”  
  
They both laughed, and John stood by awkwardly. This was a part of his little boy's life he would never share. Another surge of jealously almost overwhelmed him, but he managed to control it.  
  
“Have a nice weekend, Peeta.”  
  
Peeta looked over his shoulder, a happy grin gracing his face. “Thanks, Dad! I will!”  
  
John smiled in return. “Bye.”  
  
“Bye, Dad!”  
  
“Good night, John,” Blake waved, ushering Peeta out the door and into his waiting truck.  
  
John stood quietly his hand raised slightly as he watched Peeta clamber up into the truck. He remembered his long ago promise that he would do what he could to give Peeta as much of a happy childhood as possible. And, if that was with the Everdeens, then so be it.  
  
Still it hurt to see the pure admiration in Peeta’s eyes as he looked up at Blake. He sighed and turned back to the kitchen. John generally took the early morning and late evening shifts now. They had purchased a new home three years before and it was both a blessing and a curse.  
  
The house was larger, probably more than sensible, but it had given John some peace from the Cynthia’s constant reminders that they were not living up to their potential status. Still, the house payment was huge, and so it meant spending more time at work.  
  
Working was not a problem. In fact, it was his solace. John covered the early morning and Cynthia would arrive around nine to take over the front, then he would return around three and begin baking for the evening rush. The boys would come in after school, and prep for the following day. Then, Cynthia would head home for supper, leaving John alone to finish the prep for the next day. He enjoyed his time alone, working out his frustrations on lumps of bread dough.  
  
The negative side, though, was that he was not around as much to protect Peeta from Cynthia. He knew she would never go as far as she did in December, because the police had never ruled the incident as an accident. Still, he worried about his little boy being alone with her for any length of time.  
  
John felt powerless. Divorce was not an option. So, he tried to do the best he could. The past week, he had kept Peeta at the bakery with him until it was time for him to go home. But the long days were taking its toll on little Peeta.  
  
He quickly mixed the ingredients for his best selling raisin and nut bread. The big mixer was running so he did not immediately hear Cynthia return. He did, however, see her as she rounded the counter.  
  
“Where’s Peeta?” Cynthia raised her voice above the whirring noise of the mixer.  
  
“He’s at the Everdeens,” John answered.  
  
“What the hell?” Cynthia’s eyes grew stormy. “Why is he over there? I’m going to go right over there and pick him up. That boy needs to start earning his keep.” She turned on her heel.  
  
But just as quickly, John flicked off the switch for the mixer and placed a hand on her shoulder, just firm enough to prevent her from leaving. “You will not go to the Everdeens. Do you hear me? You will not go over there and embarrass Peeta. He deserves a break.”  
  
Cynthia’s brow furrowed at his words. John knew better than to cross her. “What did you say? Are you really going to try to prevent me from going over there and taking my son home? MY SON?”  
  
“Yes.” Since their marriage nearly nineteen years prior, John had mostly given in to Cynthia to avoid arguments, but on this point, he decided to take a stand.  
  
“You are a piece of work, John Mellark. Did you ever consider how your behavior would effect me? Ever? Did you ever once think about anyone other than yourself when you were fucking Joan Glimmer? I’ll do whatever I please. Thank you! And that includes going over to take Peeta back from that Seam trash family.” Her face turned red with anger.  
  
“You will NOT go over there, Cynthia. Do you think I don’t know where you’ve been going three times a week?” She visibly paled at his words. Up until that moment, John wasn't entirely certain she was cheating, so her reaction surprised him somewhat but he proceeded anyway. “At first, you had me fooled. Counseling seemed like such a noble thing. But it never seemed to make any difference in your treatment of Peeta.”  
  
“I … what are you talking about? Are you accusing me of cheating?” She didn’t quite meet his eyes with her question. “Because if you are … .”  
  
“I guess it takes a cheater to know a cheater.” Her cheeks flushed to her ears. “Look, Cynthia, I don’t care what you do. I really don’t. But here’s the way it’s going to be around here from now. Peeta will work three, two-hour shifts after school a week, and every other Saturday. No morning shifts, and no late night shifts.”  
  
Cynthia pursed her lips. “Fine. Until he’s finished convalescing.”  
  
“No.” John held up his hand. “This is a permanent schedule change.”  
  
“That’s ridiculous. He’s our mon- … .”  
  
“Money-maker? No, Cynthia. We’ve done just fine without his help. I admit he’s got a talent for this work, but I’m not going to force it on him.” She opened her mouth to speak, but he held up his hand again. “And, you will leave him alone. No more vicious comments. No more … .”  
  
“All right! I get it,” Cynthia said, cutting him off. “You want to coddle him because he’s the baby. You are going to raise a sissy. His best friend is a girl, maybe he’s … .” But the look on John’s face stopped her cold.  
  
“It starts right now. No more snide comments. No more pushing or … .”  
  
“Fine. What do I get out of this?” She was seething by this point, but John didn’t care.  
  
“You, my dear Cynthia, can fuck any man who will have you with my blessing. You can have complete freedom, but on the surface you will appear to be happily married.”  
  
“And I suppose you will be fucking yourself silly.”  
  
He laughed without humor. “Me? No I have no intention of fucking anyone. Look at where it’s gotten me.”  
  
They stood staring at one another for along minute until Cynthia finally shrugged her shoulders. “Whatever, John, I know there’s some ulterior motive here, but I could really care less. Peeta can stay at the Everdeens for all I care. Just don’t blame me when his lazy ass … .”  
  
“I mean it Cynthia! LEAVE. HIM. ALONE.”  
  
The standoff continued for several more seconds before Cynthia huffed out impatiently. “Fine. I really don’t give a damn.” She turned on her heel and left the bakery.  
  
John watched her leave, running his hand wearily across his face. He knew that Cynthia never gave up that easily. On the other hand, he hoped he bought Peeta a little respite. He switched the mixer back on.  
  
As it turned out, that’s all it was … a little respite. For a few months, Cynthia outwardly either totally ignored Peeta or was distantly cordial. She bit her tongue when she reviewed the weekly work schedules with Peeta’s name appearing just three times, and always working with John. She slept in each morning rather than face him before her morning coffee. But inwardly, she was seething.  
  
For his part, Peeta avoided his mother whenever possible. If he wondered about the new set of circumstances, he didn’t dare voice it. For a few months, he enjoyed what was quite possibly the happiest days he had spent in the Mellark home.  
  
But all good things must come to an end.


	18. Night at the Movies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hunger Games characters belong to Suzanne Collins!
> 
> Thanks for reading, and I finally got a tumblr account. You can find me there as Hey-youao
> 
> hey-youao.tumblr.com

“On your mark,” soggy noodles draped from the mouths of Katniss, Peeta and Prim, as Katniss gritted out the words, “get set,” her lips barely moving, her teeth clenched, “go!”  
  
As she uttered the last syllable, the three began to suck in earnest, the noodles disappearing into their mouths. “Done!” Peeta shouted, extending his hands above his head in victory.  
  
“Ugh!” Katniss groaned, as the last of the noodle slipped into her mouth and she chewed before swallowing. “Two out of three, and I get to pick your noodle this time!” She leveled her best glare at him, which only caused his smile to grow.  
  
“You’re just a sore loser,” Peeta retorted, and laughed as her glare grew in intensity. He loved meal times at the Everdeens. Long ago, he learned that Blake and Jen put up with a few shenanigans from them while they ate.  
  
Katniss was already fishing around his plate for the longest noodle she could find. “Yes!” She exclaimed triumphantly as she held out a noodle that was at least eleven inches long.  
  
“Noodle suck” had been invented sometime during their kindergarten year, and the rules were pretty simple. Each chose the longest noodle for the other, and one of them  — usually Katniss — would call out the starting words. Prim had joined in the game the year before. The Everdeens tolerated up to three rounds before one of them would remind the children to eat — not play. Peeta seemingly never lost, and he enjoyed having the upper-hand, even if it was just a silly game.  
  
“Go!” Katniss uttered, without the preliminaries, hoping to take her opponents by surprise. Only Prim was daunted, however, as Peeta immediately began sucking in his noodle at record pace.  
  
“Done!” Peeta cried out once again in triumph. “And still the ‘Noodle Champion of the World!'”  
  
“The World?” Katniss questioned. “No way! There’s got to be someone out there who can out-suck you!” It was an innocent statement, but Blake choked all the same.  
  
“Okay, that’s enough,” Jen said, side-eying her husband. “Finish up your spaghetti, kids, it’s getting late, and if you want to get in a few movies before you fall asleep, you better finish up.” The children quickly returned to their eating.  
  
Once his plate was cleared, Peeta was on his feet and headed to the sink. “Just leave them there, honey,” Jen said, and he turned to give her a sheepish grin. Terms of endearment were an everyday part of life in the Everdeen household.  
  
“Thank you,” Peeta said quickly, as he watched Katniss stand with her plate and head toward the sink.  
  
“Let’s get into our pajamas. Dad said that he will bring in the tent and sleeping bags and we can camp-out in the living room.”  
  
Katniss started out of the kitchen at a run, but then stopped quickly remembering that Peeta still wasn’t able to run. She noticed his limp more pronounced than it had been earlier in the day. “Are you okay?”  
  
“Yep,” Peeta said, blushing slightly at her concern. “Just spending too much time standing today. Should be fine once we lay down.”  
  
“I can bring your pajamas downstairs, if you want.”  
  
“No, that’s okay. I can make it,” he said as he hurried to catch up to where she was standing.  
  
Katniss frowned, knowing that he was in pain but not wanting him to feel self-conscious. Once he caught up to her, he smiled wanly before noticing her deep frown. “What?” Peeta asked, rubbing his neck awkwardly.  
  
She shook her head slightly, forcing a small smile to her face. “I miss having you here, Peety.”  
  
“I miss being here,” he answered honestly.  
  
“Oh, I forgot something in the kitchen. You go on up.” It was the only way she could think of so that Peeta would take his time and go up the stairs slowly.  
  
“Okay,” he said, as he started his trek up the stairs.  
  
Katniss watched for just a moment before turning back to the kitchen. “His leg is really bothering him tonight.”  
  
Jen nodded. “He’s undergoing rigorous physical therapy at the moment, along with school and work. His leg needs to rest a bit or he may never lose the limp.”  
  
Blake looked thoughtful as he pushed himself up from the table. He headed upstairs leaving Katniss and her mom still talking. He approached the bedroom and saw Peeta standing with his back to the door. “Peet?”  
  
Peeta startled and looked over his shoulder.  “Uh … you bought me all new clothes?” He held up new Sponge Bob pajamas.  
  
Blake smiled. “Well, the leg was cut out of most of your pajamas and jeans, so we figured you needed some new ones.”  
  
“I’ll … pay you back.” Peeta was still unaccustomed to the generosity of the Everdeens, even more so now that he understood that his parents had more money.  
  
“Pay me back? Do I expect Katniss and Prim to pay me back for their clothes? Of course not! I wouldn’t expect any of my kids to pay for their own clothes. Not yet, anyway. But if they start wanting some far out clothes like fur-lined jeans, well then … .” He and Peeta laughed.  
  
Peeta quickly stripped off his hand-me-down jeans and bakery-logo t-shirt, and pulled on his new pajamas. Somewhere along the way, he had lost all signs of pudginess. “How’s your leg, Peet?”  
  
“Uh … okay, mostly, just hurts me when I overuse it.”  
  
Blake nodded. “Well, this weekend, you should let it rest some, okay?” It was Peeta’s turn to nod. “In fact, why don’t you hitch a ride downstairs,” Blake bent down, allowing the boy to climb on his back.  
  
“Thanks, Blake,” Peeta said, as he tightened his arms around Blake’s neck. Blake stood and headed out of the room, meeting Katniss on her way in.  
  
“You want a ride down, Kit?”  
  
“No thanks, Daddy,” Katniss replied, “But if you could bring the sleeping bags in?”  
  
“I’ll get right on it as soon as I deliver the prince downstairs.” Peeta laughed as Blake took off at a jog.  
  
Five minutes later, Katniss made her way downstairs. She hesitated a moment as she watched her Dad and Peeta finish with the tent. Peeta popped his head out of the opening, “Hey …,” he trailed off, as he took in her pajamas. Sponge Bob, just like his. It had been years since they had worn matching pajamas. In fact, they hadn’t worn matching pajamas since Peeta had accidentally revealed the fact in front of Storm Cato in first grade. That slip-up resulted in months of teasing from Storm and Dallas Marvel. At the time, Katniss swore never to wear matching clothes again. “Uhm, nice pajamas.”  
  
Katniss blushed faintly and then nodded. “But not a word, Peeta,” she warned.  
  
He quickly nodded his head, deciding it was better to say no more about it. “Here’s your bag,” Peeta said, as he handed her the green camo that she had gotten the previous spring. Peeta picked up his sleeping bag and removed the elastic strap. His bag was blue camo. Katniss had teased him that he would blend in perfectly if they were ever surrounded totally with sky. He didn’t mind though. If he couldn’t have orange camo, then he would take blue. They tucked the bags neatly into the tent, which was almost too small. Just as they finished arranging their bags, Prim arrived with her My Little Pony bag trailing behind, and waited expectantly at the tent flap.  
  
“I don’t think there’s enough room in there for you kiddo,” Blake said softly and Prim looked like she might cry.  
  
Katniss poked her head through the flap. “Yes there is, Daddy. I’ll just scoot closer to Peeta. Is that okay, Peeta?”  
  
“Sure,” he answered quickly, scooting himself and his bag closer to the wall of the tent. He never minded. Katniss moved closer to him and Prim pushed her way in. The three began wriggling and shifting until each had just enough room.  
  
Blake stood back and surveyed the three children. Sardines. Tightly packed in the tiny tent. “I think we need a bigger tent,” Blake said as he smiled at Jen. She nodded in agreement. “Okay, which one do you want to watch first?” Blake questioned as he looked at the huge stack of videos beside the TV.  
  
“Home Alone!” It sounded like a chorus of young voices. He chuckled as he placed the cassette in the VCR.  
  
“I’ll be out with popcorn in just a bit,” Jen said, as she retreated to the kitchen. Blake took a seat in his new Lazy Boy. The children stirred a bit more before settling in midway through the outdated “Previews for Coming Attractions.”  
  
Peeta and Katniss had watched the show so many times, that they voiced the dialogue right along with the characters, but still, the show held appeal for them. The popcorn arrived and for a time, the only noise aside from the movie, was the crunching of popcorn.  
  
As the movie wore on, Peeta’s eye lids grew heavy and he blinked quickly in an attempt to stay awake but sleep won out as Kevin entered the church just before the finale. Prim dropped off as the crooks entered the house. Katniss looked first at Peeta then at Prim. “Couple of lightweights,” she muttered affectionately as she pulled their sleeping bags up over their shoulders.  
  
Katniss stubbornly stayed awake to the end of the movie.  
  
“What next, Kit?” Blake whispered.  
  
“Uh, I think I’ll just go to sleep, Daddy. It wouldn’t be fair to watch when they are too tired.” He nodded and bent to place a kiss on the top of her head, following suit with Prim and Peeta.  
  
“Night, Sweetie. Sleep well.” He moved to the television and switched it off, and then doused the lights. He looked back, the moonlight filtering through the curtains. Three little heads peaked through the opening. His heart swelled and a lump grew in his throat but he forced a smile, happy that they were still just little kids who enjoyed a good living room camp-out once in awhile. As he mounted the stairs, he wondered how much longer it would be okay for them to sleep that closely. He was pretty certain in a year’s time, it would no longer be appropriate.  
  
In actuality though, Peeta and Katniss made the decision on their own at the end of summer to stop sleeping so closely while camping out. The last thing they needed was for Storm or Cato to find out they slept in the same tent. What Blake could not have predicted, however, was that Katniss would need the comfort of Peeta next to her before a year had passed.


	19. The Parents - The Art of Accepting Gratefully

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another outtake from "The Parents."

“Take it Blake, please, just take it,” John pleaded.  
  
“No, absolutely not, John. I will not take money from you for caring for Peeta. ABSOLUTELY NOT.” Blake raised his voice to punctuate just how serious he was about not taking the money being offered. “I’ve told you before, I won’t take money from you.” Through the years, in lieu of money, John had supplied meat, bread, food items and gifts for the family.  
  
John shrugged his shoulders in defeat. This was the third conversation he had with Blake regarding the insurance funds Peeta had received as a result of the accident. The insurance company had paid all the medical bills associated with the accident in December. Additionally, however, the local agent had secured a large settlement offer which had shocked John initially, until it became clear that  Cynthia had approached the man about a possible lawsuit.  
  
The news angered John, and he had promptly went to the agent to decline the offer; however, the agent was reluctant to rescind the offer and went so far as to tell John that the money would insure Peeta’s future ability to go to college in the event that a sports scholarship was out of reach on account of his injury.  
  
John confided in Blake and Jen who understood his moral dilemma. Down deep each one believed Cynthia was far more at fault for what happened than the driver of the car. Still, it was Jen who said that the money was for Peeta, and if John managed it properly, Cynthia would not receive a dime.  
  
With that in mind, John secured a lawyer to act as trustee of the account, and they worked out a plan. No more than $15,000 could be withdrawn during each of the next seven years to be used at Peeta’s discretion, unless medically necessary to withdraw more funds.  
  
John wasn’t sure how to approach his eleven-year-old son with the news that he was a millionaire. He was almost certain Peeta would object to the money, so instead he decided to ask Peeta would he would do if he had a million dollars.  
  
Peeta grinned, “Oh that’s easy, Dad. I would take Katniss and Prim to Disneyland. Of course, Disney World is closer, but Disneyland we’d get to see the Rockies that we just studied about and maybe even Yellowstone, and the Redwood Forests, and the ocean, and … .”  
  
John laughed as his son listed off all the places his little boy heart would like to see, and then it dawned on him. A road trip like that was out of the question with Cynthia. One day in the car and she would be insisting they travel to the nearest airport. Besides, he did not want Cynthia to reap any benefits from the money.  
  
He thought it would just be a matter of offering the funds to Blake and Jen, but they thwarted every offer he made and rejected all his reasoning.  
  
“Blake,” John started quietly, hoping to diffuse the brewing situation. “Here’s the deal. Each year, Peeta has $15,000 he can spend as he wishes. He doesn’t know about the pot of money, but when I asked what he would like to do if he had the money to do it, the first words out of his mouth were to take Katniss and Prim to Disneyland.”  
  
Blake’s eyes remained stormy, but he said nothing. “Then he listed off all these National Parks they could see at the same time, and well, Peeta’s never really been on an extended vacation. Frankly, I would never want to take Cynthia on a cross-country trip, and besides, I don’t want her to see a nickel of his money. She’s already pissed that the majority is out of reach and I want to make sure Peeta spends the money the way he wants.”  
  
“I …,” Blake's resolve was melting.  
  
“Please Blake, take this vacation for Peeta. I know there’s no one he would rather spend it with than that little girl of yours. Use it for gas, hotels, entry fees, meals. Make it a trip to remember.”  
  
“Let me … let me talk to Jen. We’ll get back to you.”  
  
John nodded his head and hid his smile feeling confident that he had finally found the right argument.  
  
Later that day, Jen and John sat in the doctor’s office as he reviewed Peeta’s latest x-rays. “It’s really quite remarkable,” the doctor commented quietly as he viewed another angle. “Quite … remarkable.”  
  
Jen and John exchanged a relieved glance. If the doctor found it odd that Jen was there instead of Peeta’s mother, he said nothing. “I don’t need to tell you, Peeta’s break was bad. There are some doctors who would likely have recommended taking the leg off.” John’s face blanched white. “The break was in a bad place, but the healing has been incredible. I’m very pleased. You, Mrs. Everdeen, have been instrumental in this process.”  
  
John wiped tears from his face, and quickly gripped Jen’s hand. “I would say he’s about eighty-five to ninety percent; however, I understand Peeta would like to go out for Little League.” The pair nodded. “That’s out of the question right now. I want him to spend the summer resting his leg a bit more, running like a little boy would normally run, riding his bike, playing. Everything he normally does will strengthen his leg and make it more likely he will play sports in the future.” Again, they both nodded.  
  
“Do you want me to tell him?” John allowed a single nod. “Okay, just a minute.” The doctor went to his office door and called Peeta in. He looked anxiously at Katniss and reached his hand in her direction. She quickly took it and the two proceeded into the office together. “Have a seat,” the doctor gestured to the two remaining chairs.  
  
Peeta’s leg bounced uncontrollably as the doctor turned back to the x-rays and flipped the switch to illuminate them. For the next few minutes he explained the break and how the bone had mended itself. When he finished, he turned to Peeta, “Any questions?”  
  
“Just one,” Katniss interjected, and all eyes turned to her, “what does it all mean?”  
  
The doctor grinned at her directness. “It means that you, Peeta, are healing very nicely.” The pair exchanged relieved smiles. “But, Little League is out this summer.” Peeta’s eyes dropped.  
  
“Okay, well I guess I’ll spend more time at the bakery,” Peeta said without enthusiasm. His brothers both had baseball as a reprieve.  
  
“Wait, hold on,” the doctor said, his brow furrowing. “No work for you either. I made that clear to your mother in March, absolutely no work for you until you are one hundred percent. Is that clear?” Jen and John exchanged a confused glance.  
  
“You mentioned the ‘no work policy’ to my wife?”  
  
“Yes, I made it abundantly clear when she came here after his cast was off. No work for the next several months.”  
  
Peeta’s eyes widened at the announcement. The doctor continued, “Have fun Peeta, go out for swimming, play, relax, enjoy yourself.”  
  
It was the best news he had he had ever heard. To Peeta, the doctors announcement meant that he would probably spend most of the summer with the Everdeens. He wasn’t even particularly bothered by the fact that his mother had misled him.  
  
“Thanks, Doc!” Peeta said quickly as he jumped to his feet. “Is that it?” The doctor smiled and nodded. “Come on, Katniss, maybe we can get ice cream on the way home.”  
  
“Thank you, doctor,” John extended his hand to the man and shook it heartily.  
  
“You’re welcome. You have a remarkable young man there.”  
  
“Yes, I know,” John replied modestly as he and Jen turned to leave the office.  
  
The four left the clinic and headed up the street to the Ice Cream Shoppe where Peeta and Katniss split a Mega Sundae with most everything on it.  
  
“Have you and Blake discussed the trip?” John asked as they settled at a table just far enough from the booth Peeta and Katniss shared.  
  
“Yes,” Jen said, quietly. “I cant speak for Blake, but the information today makes me realize that Peeta is probably better off staying with us this summer to remove the temptation to make him work.”  
  
John nodded gravely, “You’re right but I intend to speak with Cynthia. The games she plays with … it’s got to stop!” Jen said nothing but silently fumed that Cynthia always managed to slide by with little more than a “talking to.” “Still, I hope you and Blake will take me up on the vacation idea.”  
  
“We’ll see, John. But rest assured, Peeta will have a great summer either way.”  
  
John nodded, and looked in the direction of Peeta and Katniss, who were giggling together as they ate the huge sundae. He loved seeing his youngest son so carefree and happy.  
  
That evening, Jen told Blake about the meeting with the doctor, and his words regarding Cynthia. Blake’s jaw clenched as he took in her words. “That … bitch,” Blake gritted in a rare curse. “She’s just … .” Jen ran her hand soothingly across his arm. “Jen, I know that I said I would never accept money from John for the care of Peeta, but this morning … .”  
  
“Blake, I think we should take the trip. It would be the perfect way to get Peeta away for awhile, and let him just enjoy being a little boy.”  
  
“I’ve got three weeks vacation I need to take this year or I’ll lose it.”  
  
“Three weeks? That’s … ,“ Jen could not contain the smile that blossomed, “wonderful, Blake. When?”  
  
“Second week of June, almost a month when you factor in the Fourth.”  
  
“So we’re going?”  
  
“Yep, if you’re willing to spend three weeks in a car traveling with three children, then so am I.”  
  
“Yes!” Jen cried. A real vacation, not just to the lake home or camping nearby, but all the way to the West Coast.  
  
“We’ll take the tent, and pack up our gear, but I expect we’ll have to spend some nights in hotels, and we’ll eat lunch and dinners out. Just make breakfasts and … .” Jen threw her arms around his neck and kissed him.  
  
The next morning with all three kids sitting around the table, Blake made the announcement. “Kids, I have something to tell you. Your Mom and I will be taking you on an extended vacation this summer.” Prim and Katniss squealed excitedly but Peeta remained uncharacteristically quiet, his eyes focussed on his cereal. “Something wrong, Peet?”  
  
“No … uh … no … have a good trip,” his voice nearly broke as he finished. He wanted to be happy for Katniss, he really did but he had been looking forward to spending the summer with her.  
  
“Well, we will,” Blake said with finality, “because there’s nothing I would rather do than take my wife and three kids on a trip to Disneyland.” Peeta looked up, surprise coloring his features.  
  
“Three?”  
  
“Of course, Peet. You don’t think we would go on a trip without you!” Peeta’s eyes widened and a grin spread quickly.  
  
“Of course not, Peety, you’re part of the family,” Katniss said, a tinge of exasperation in her voice as she wondered why he would even doubt that fact. “Wait! Disneyland?” Blake and Jen smiled, and all three kids bounded from their chairs hugging and talking over the top of each other.    
  
“Whoa, sit down and finish your breakfast. And, to show you just how much a part of the family you are, Peeta, you get to plan the itinerary.”  
  
Katniss and Peeta dominated the rest of the conversation as they tossed ideas back and forth. “We’ve got to see Old Faithful,” Katniss said, and Peeta quickly agreed.  
  
“And a ghost town!” Peeta said quickly, “and the Grand Canyon and the ocean and … .”  
  
Blake caught Jen’s eyes and she raised her coffee cup in salute.  
  
The summer of their eleventh years would become the most memorable for both children. Blake and Jen made memories that would last a lifetime for all the children. Later, Jen would consider the gift of a vacation providential as it proved to be a once in a lifetime trip for her and Blake. By the following summer, he was gone, and all they had left were memories.


	20. Trip of a Lifetime - Part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Hunger Games characters belong to Suzanne Collins.
> 
> Thanks for reading! If you care to follow, I'm heyyouao on tumblr.

The first day of the trip was a little boring, tempered only by the excitement of what was to come. They got an early start and all three children slept through the initial few hours of the journey as they left their beloved Appalachian Mountains behind them and headed into Indiana.   
  
Blake pulled to the side of the road, and rousted the little ones to get the requisite “Welcome to Indiana” photo next to the sign. Three sleepy children joined Jen beneath the sign, all grinning broadly. A few miles down the road, they stopped at a rest area where Peeta and Katniss discovered the joys of “Information.”  Excitedly, they gathered pamphlets for area attractions and maps to track their progress. Jen set out a breakfast of muffins and fruit, which the children barely noticed as they chattered excitedly. It was their first time out-of-state.   
  
“Mom?” Peeta’s voice rang out, and Jen lifted her eyes and offered a gentle smile. “Are we staying at a place with a pool or lake tonight?”  
  
“Pool, dear.”  
  
“See? I told you,” Peeta taunted Katniss, who scowled in response, still not quite believing they would have steady access to water over the next three weeks.  
  
Eventually, they resumed their journey and only Prim slept as Peeta and Katniss quickly caught on to tracking the journey on their maps. In between, marking off each small town as they passed by, they played “I Spy” among other games and the morning passed quickly.  
  
Each rest break, yielded more information and more possibilities for potential stops; however, none seemed to really interest them, and they continued on to their destination. They took another photo at the “Welcome to Illinois” sign, and a few hours later, another photo at the Iowa border.  
  
Blake commented more than once they were making great time and would soon be at their first overnight destination. When Peeta had first selected it from the huge campground directory, Blake had doubted they would make it all the way, but the children were much better travelers than he ever anticipated.  
  
It was late afternoon when Katniss spied the first sign advertising the KOA where they would be staying, and a half hour later they pulled in. Everyone stepped out of the vehicle as Blake went in to pay. They had intended to pull out the tent, but small cabins drew everyone’s attention, and Blake couldn’t deny them this opportunity. The small cabin was an adventure, with bunk beds for the kids and a small bedroom for Blake and Jen.   
  
The children changed into swimming suits and Blake grabbed the small fishing rod that he packed to go along with the one-day fishing permit he purchased. Their first evening meal on the road was served late and Prim fell asleep part way through have thoroughly worn herself out in the pool.   
  
“This is the best day ever!” Peeta exclaimed happily before taking another bite of the fish Blake caught. Blake and Jen shared a look across the picnic table, and both knew the trip was exactly what the little boy needed.   
  
“Peeta, we need to go back to the store and buy some postcards. I promised Jo we would send her one.”  
  
“And my Dad!” Peeta added, grinning.   
  
“Okay, you two, here’s some money to buy what you like.” He handed them each a ten dollar bill and both their jaws fell in unison. For the first time in his life, Blake carried a credit card in his wallet. But he still had plenty of cash for the little things.   
  
“Thanks Daddy!” Katniss reached up and hugged him quickly.  
  
“Thank you,” Peeta chimed in with a huge smile.  
  
“What about Primmy?” Katniss asked.  
  
“You can take her in the morning,” Jen said. “Tonight though, she needs her sleep.”  
  
A few minutes later, the pair stood beside the bicycle license plates. “They never have my name,” Katniss lamented.  
  
“Mine either,” Peeta said as he spun it once more. “Or Prim’s, but look, they have Blake, Jen and John! Our parents sure gave us weird names.”  
  
“On the bright side, though, it’s one more thing we have in common, and I’m glad you’re name is Peeta instead of Storm or Dallas.”  
  
“Right,” Peeta happily agreed.  “Let’s buy them."  
  
A few minutes later, they selected a small Teddy bear for Prim, some candy for the next day’s drive, postcards and three travel Bingo games.   
  
As they arrived back at the cabin, Jenn called, “Kids, if you want to go in the pool before bed, you better go down now.” They quickly changed into their wet suits and shivered all the way back to the pool. The water felt surprisingly warm as they splashed and played.  
  
The sun was nearly setting when Blake arrived with fresh clothes. “Kit, Peet, come on out of the pool. It’s time for a shower.”  
  
"Ahh, Daddy,” Katniss moaned. “Five more minutes?” But Peeta jumped right out and headed to the mens showers. Too many years spent with his ill tempered mother taught him not to question.  
  
“Nope, come on, Kit. The pool is going to close in a few minutes, and then the shower house will fill up quickly.” Katniss pulled herself out and grabbed her clothes from her dad.  
  
A few minutes later, Peeta came out, ruffling his blonde curls with his hand. With the sun almost out of sight, there was a noticeable chill in the air, and Peeta zipped his gray hoodie.   
  
“Having fun, Peet?”  
  
Peeta grinned, “I’m having the best time ever.”  
  
“How’s your leg?”  
  
“Good. Great.”  
  
Katniss emerged from the showers, re-braiding her hair. The three headed back toward the cabin. “Camp fire!” Katniss called out as she noticed the blazing fire. “Smores?”  
  
“What? Smores? Why ever would we want to eat those?” Blake teased, as he fake shuddered.  
  
“Daddy!” Katniss rolled her eyes in response, and Blake hugged her close. He dreaded the day that she would no longer call him daddy.   
  
Peeta dropped to the ground in front of the fire, and Katniss joined him. Blake retrieved the roasting sticks as Jen exited the cabin, a bag in one hand and leading a sleepy Prim by the other.   
  
The fire crackled and snapped as each child dipped their sticks toward the flames. Peeta loved roasting marshmallows and had perfected the art of achieving a toasty brown without burning it, and Katniss mostly evaded burning her marshmallow; but, more often then not, Prim's marshmallow left the fire a black, crusty version of its former self.

Jen moved to Blake’s side, “Thank you.”  
  
“For what?”  
  
“This,” she gestured toward the camp fire.   
  
“Don’t thank me, thank Peeta.”  
  
“It wouldn’t have happened without you too, Blake.” They watched the three kids for a moment. Prim was retelling one of her nonsensical “Knock-Knock” jokes, and Peeta was playing along with a good natured smile.  
  
“Sometimes I forget he’s not ours,” Blake said quietly.   
  
“Me too, but something tells me, he someday might be ours.” Blake drew back to study her face, eyebrows arched slightly. “As in son-in-law. I don't believe either Katniss or Peeta view each other as siblings.”  
  
Blake shook his head slightly, not wanting to think too far in the future, but then he looked back toward the fire and noticed the unabashed adoration on Peeta’s face as he listened closely to whatever Katniss was saying.  
  
“That’s a lot of years away.”  
  
“It is, but they’ve forged a strong bond, and look how protective they are of each other.”  
  
Blake decided not to dwell on it and instead, picked up his guitar and headed back to the fire. “So, Peet, what’s on the agenda tomorrow.”  
  
“Oh … uh … just a minute,” he stood up and jogged to the SUV, pulling open the back door and retrieving the tablet he and Katniss had started to journal their trip. “Tomorrow is Corn Palace, Wall Drug, and maybe that town where they shot ‘Dances with Wolves.’  Of course, we will drive through the Badlands too, and then stay outside Rapid City.”  
  
“Sounds like a busy day! Why don’t we sing a few songs before we bed.” And so saying, he strummed his guitar, playing the opening notes of “Down in the Valley.”  
  
At first Peeta joined in, but soon he stopped to listen to father and daughter harmonize together, and he could have sworn that even the birds stopped to listen.


	21. Another Day on the Road

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took so long to post ... but life sometimes gets in the way. Hope you enjoy and thanks for reading.
> 
> As always, Hunger Games characters belong to Suzanne Collins.

Peeta stared at the menu.   
  
“So what’s it going to be, Peeta? Cheeseburger Kids Meal?” Jen asked as the line moved forward a bit.  
  
“Uh,” Peeta’s eyes flashed to the Kids Menu, and then returned to the regular meals. Blake noticed immediately and smiled knowingly.  
  
“Think you can handle one of the other meals?” Blake laid a hand on his shoulder and smiled. Peeta looked up quickly, and grinned back.  
  
“I’ve always wanted to try a Big Mac,” Peeta confessed quietly.   
  
“Well, here’s your chance. Go ahead.”  
  
“Really?” Peeta questioned. His mother always told him that he wasn’t worth wasting the money of a Big Mac meal on.  
  
“Really.”  
  
“I want a Big Mac too,” Katniss blurted out and Peeta turned toward her, his grin spreading.  
  
“Think you can handle it?” Peeta questioned with a twinkle in his eye.  
  
“Bring it,” Katniss said with a scowl.  
  
“How about you, Primmy?” Peeta looked at the little blonde who stood on his other side.  
  
“Chicken Nuggets Happy Meal with a girl toy.”  
  
Peeta stepped to the counter. “Two number ones, and one Chicken Nuggets Happy Meal with apple slices, chocolate milk and a girl toy, and three cherry pies. That’s it.” Peeta reached for his wallet.  
  
The eyes of the girl taking his order moved to Blake, who nodded toward Peeta, and she quickly pressed the total button. “That’ll be $13.43. For here or to go?” Blake couldn’t suppress the smile that blossomed as he watched Peeta treat “his ladies.”  
  
“Here,” Peeta said as he took two bills from his wallet and passed them across to the girl. “Do you guys want to find us a place to sit?” Prim took off like a rocket toward the playroom, with Katniss following at a sedate place.   
  
Jen looked to Blake, “I think you know what I want,” she whispered, “so, I’m going to go with them.” Jen tilted her head in the direction of Katniss and Prim. “Oh, and don’t forget the cherry pies,” her eyes twinkled.   
  
It was midday on their fourth day of the trip, and McDonalds seemed like an awesome choice as they embarked on a full afternoon of travel to their next stop. The previous two days had been full of sightseeing as they crossed South Dakota.  
  
They had stopped at the Corn Palace in Mitchell, South Dakota. Although they didn’t linger long, everyone was suitably impressed, but Katniss could not get over the fact that each year, the palace was rebuilt. It seemed like a colossal waste to her.  
  
Later that morning, they pulled in at the “1880 Town.” It had been a spur of the moment decision, but “Dances with Wolves” was a particular favorite of Blake’s, and he wanted to see where part of it was filmed. They rented costumes for the children and strolled through the old west town. The family was thrilled with their first taste of the old west.  
  
By late afternoon, they had made it to Wall Drug, where Katniss, Peeta and Prim posed for old time photos. In the first, Katniss found clothes that turned her into gunfighter. Kalamity Katniss. Prim was drawn to the saloon girl outfit, and Peeta made a very good looking sheriff. The photographer laughed as they struck their pose. Seven-year-old Prim sat on the bar, while Katniss and Peeta faced off with pearl-handled pistols.   
  
In the second photo, Blake and Jen joined in for a family shot. Katniss managed a full-on scowl (largely due to the dress she was wearing). Blake and Jen, too, fixed grim faces reminiscent of old time photos, but Peeta and Prim couldn’t suppress their characteristic grins. Still, everyone liked the photo so much, that Blake ordered several prints of it.  
  
They camped outside Wall Drug, and spent the evening in the Badlands, where Peeta was awed by the sunset. His father had gifted him with a rather expensive digital camera, and he took several photos. But it was the candid of Katniss that he snapped rather hurriedly, that he coveted the most. The sky was lit with pink, oranges and purples, and Katniss was mainly in shadow, but it was an incredible shot.  
  
When they returned to their campsite, everyone was much too tired for anything other than snuggling down in their sleeping bags and going to sleep. But the next morning, Blake and Jen were awakened by a feminine squeal followed by laughter, and a great deal of splashing. Their campsite was close to the outdoor pool, which opened at 6 a.m. The feminine squeal was Peeta, as he was the first to hit the night-cooled water.  
  
An hour later, they were showered and fed, and on their way to Bear Country, which proved to be a bit disturbing to Blake and Katniss. Peeta switched places with her, and snapped photos of the bear in their dusty dens, or walking the hard earth, looking matted and unhappy.   
  
“Is this their natural habitat, Daddy?” Katniss questioned as they rounded a bend, and drove through a pack of coyote.  
  
“I suppose as far as geography goes, it is for some, but not all.” He slowed to a stop as a buffalo cleared their path. “But, living here is far from natural to them. Still, I guess most of these guys were probably born into it like a zoo, so it’s all they’ve known. But the bear, Kit, I would guess they would prefer green grass and forests to this area.”  
  
A little later in the day, they stopped in the historic cities of Deadwood and Lead, toured the gold mine and hiked to the old cemetery. They found a campground in the area, and settled in a little earlier than usual. In the evening, they continued their explorations.  
  
After they returned to their campsite, the children hurriedly prepared for a swim, having learned the harsh lesson of outdoor pools just that morning. They swam and splashed, and even Blake and Jen got in the pool for a bit.  
  
It was three tired children that were herded to the showers before bed. Jen helped them get settled in their tent, with Prim taking the middle position as she was suddenly afraid of a bear eating her while she slept. Peeta and Katniss blinked sleepily, as Prim settled between them.   
  
“Mom?” Peeta whispered. “Thanks so much for this! It’s the best trip ever!”  
  
Jen bent and kissed his cheek, hearing his small sigh. “You’re very welcome, Peeta, but I must say thank you to you too. You’re the driving force behind this trip, you know.” He smiled, not quite understanding her words. “We love you, Peeta, very, very much!”  
  
“I love …,” but he didn’t finish as his eyes closed in sleep.  
  
Today, they had already taken in Mount Rushmore. Peeta took dozens of pictures, mostly of Katniss.   
  
“He’s going to have a whole album of just Katniss,” Blake whispered to Jen.  
  
“Somehow, I think that’s what he’s hoping for,” Jen said with a smile.  
  
It was there that Peeta found what he was looking for. Both Blake and Jen had noticed that Peeta spent an inordinate amount of time searching the jewelry section at each gift shop. Today, though, Peeta had stopped suddenly, his mouth agape. He looked up quickly and saw the harried clerk, and waved to get her attention.  
  
“Uh, how much is that necklace?”  
  
The young woman, exhaled, and flipped the box. “Too much for you. The toys are over there.”  
  
Not to be put off, Peeta looked around and summoned Blake who was standing nearby. “Pop, could you find out how much that necklace is?” Blake looked at the one Peeta pointed to, a pearl pendant with a tiny Black Hills Gold amber and gold leaf.   
  
“Excuse me,” the clerk turned and a broad grin spread across her face. “How much for the necklace?”  
  
“Let’s see,” she answered politely. “It’s $119.95.”  
  
“Thank … .”  
  
“I’ll take it,” Peeta said quickly.   
  
There was no question in Blake’s mind who the necklace was intended for. “You sure, Peet? Wouldn’t you like to buy something for yourself.”  
  
Peeta looked up quickly, his blue eyes imploring Blake, “Her other necklace is getting all tarnished.” The “other necklace” was the locket he had bought Katniss as a kindergartner.   
  
“Okay, but you should buy yourself something too.”  
  
Peeta grinned, and Blake pulled out the card that included Peeta’s travel money on it, and handed it to the boy. He looked around quickly. Jen and the girls were still in the restroom, but Blake knew immediately that Peeta was concerned Katniss would walk in.  
  
The clerk ran the card, and Peeta signed his name quickly. The card had been setup for either Blake or Peeta to sign. She dropped the box in a small bag, and handed it back to Peeta with a funny expression on her face.  
  
“Thank you,” Peeta said, as he quickly grabbed the bag and headed toward the souvenirs on the far wall. Moments later, Katniss and Prim entered the shop and headed toward him.  
  
Jen approached Blake, laying her hand on the small of his back as she did so. He shook his head slightly, a small grin on his face.  
  
“What?” Jen questioned.  
  
“I don’t know, Jen, that boy is something else. Do you know, he just dropped a hundred twenty and change on a new necklace for Katniss?”  
  
“Hmmm. Lucky girl. Wish I were that lucky.”  
  
Blake turned quickly and looked into her teasing eyes. “Haven’t I already given you the two most precious jewels on earth?”  
  
She leaned in and kissed him quickly. “Yes you did, and I don’t really need anything more.”  
  
Before they left, however, Blake picked out a Black Hills Gold ring for Jen. There were lessons to be learned from an 11-year-old boy.  
  
An hour later, they were seated in the playroom at McDonalds, hurriedly finishing their meals so they could spend some time climbing through the maze. Gone was the young man who had purchased a necklace and meal for his girl, and in his place, was the little boy with his out-of-control curls and broad grin.  
  
Jen sat quietly watching the children, and trying to suppress the nagging feeling that sometimes invaded her thoughts. That feeling that everything was too good to be true, and something bad was going to happen. The feeling hit her at odd times, and was generally fleeting, but still it bothered her whenever it happened.  
  
“What’s the matter?” Blake questioned, noticing the look in her eyes.  
  
She shook her head and forced a smile. “Nothing. I just wish this would go on forever.”  
  
Blake nodded, unsure of whether she meant the trip or something else. Blake turned his attention back to the table where Prim was in the process of explaining a game that she wanted to play. Katniss and Peeta readily agreed, and finished up their sandwiches.   
  
“Mind if we eat our pies in the car?” Katniss questioned.  
  
“No, that’s fine,” Blake said, and the three took off toward the maze, giggles and laughter falling behind in their wake.  
  
“You know what, Blake? They’re all something else.”   
  
That feeling had passed, but what she didn’t know then was her entire world would shatter within the year, and things would never be too good to be true — ever again.


	22. Do You Like Me?

Katniss awoke with a start, and looked around panicked as she tried to orient herself. Her father and mother chatted amicably in the front seat as her father drove. Peeta and Prim were to her left, both dead to the world.  
  
Still, her heart pounded on, and she could feel the heat in her cheeks as she recalled the last moments of her dream. Peeta kissed her. He actually kissed her. … And she wanted him to kiss her. How could that be? He was her best friend. Emphasis on FRIEND. Not her boyfriend. NOT her boyfriend. She shuddered at the thought.  
  
In her dream, Peeta had approached her holding a bouquet of dandelions, just as he had that morning. Only this time, he kissed her. … And she wanted him to kiss her. She couldn’t wrap her head around that last fact even though his kiss was no where near as sloppy and gross as the ones they had both witnessed on television. It was soft. And sweet. And … but she refused to allow her mind to go there.  
  
She knew that other girls her age had kissed. Jo told amazingly gross and disconcerting stories of her kisses. Katniss also knew that some of the girls felt that Peeta was very good looking and were already starting to clumsily flirt with him. Some people thought they were a couple, but they weren’t. NO, they were NOT a couple! Were they?  
  
She could feel herself scowling as she sorted through her feelings, and tried to find a word to adequately describe what Peeta was to her. Friend did not seem to go far enough. Best friend was by far the more accurate phrase. Definitely not boyfriend. She stole a glance at him and wondered if maybe he was like a brother because he did refer to her parents as Mom and Pop, and oftentimes called Prim his little sister. Katniss wrinkled her nose at the thought though. He was NOT her brother.  
  
He was sleeping with his head propped on his jacket, his mouth agape. Primmie was sleeping with her head on his arm and her hand on his leg. What? Immediately, Katniss frowned and felt a surge unfamiliar to her. She had to stifle the urge to shake Prim awake, and … . What? Jealousy. She actually felt jealousy for the first time, and it was directed toward Prim. Stupid dream.  
  
She and Peeta had always been close, at least since kindergarten. They had shared everything, including a bed during his many sleepovers, until one day her mom and dad decided it was better for Peeta to sleep on the couch. They didn’t mind. Not really. Except when they did mind, which was every time Peeta slept over, and Katniss would miss his solid presence behind her but somehow she knew the topic was off limits.  
  
Then, on this trip, they spent countless hours together, including nights when they shared a tent with Primmie. They had been all over the United States by this time, seeing sights Katniss had never dreamed of. They had hiked a trail in Rocky Mountain National Park, which overlooked a deep ravine. They had seen a grizzly bear, bison, and a herd of frisky elk in Yellowstone, just before they had waited at the base of Old Faithful for the rush of steam.  
  
Together, they stepped in deep ruts left by wagon trains on the Oregon Trail. They had splashed in the ocean, and taken photos of the Golden Gate Bridge, before heading to Los Angeles, where they spent three days at Disneyland, toured movie studios, swam in the ocean, visited the LaBrea Tar Pits, and then headed to Sea World in San Diego.   
  
Last night, they stood at the edge of the Pacific, as the sun set like a huge fireball into the ocean. Afterward, they drove back to the campsite and before bed, Peeta presented a necklace to her that he had bought several days before. It was beautiful, and he had grinned bashfully in the light of the campfire as she opened the small box. With shaking hands, he had clasped it around her neck.   
  
Katniss didn’t wonder what it meant. They always planned to grow up and live together, eating brownies and drinking hot chocolate. The necklace didn’t change that. Or did it? Did the necklace mean something more? Did Peeta want more? Her fingers found the pendant and she rolled it between thumb and forefinger. It was foolishness, she knew. Peeta was her friend and nothing more. Was he?  
  
She knew if her father knew about her current quandary, he would end the trip now and head straight back home. But, her father liked Peeta. So maybe he would just tell her she was too young to be wondering about such things. Yes, that was more like it. She was too young.  
  
Still, as she glanced at Peeta, she realized he was good looking with his curly blonde hair, lightly tanned skin (like a marshmallow in it’s first stages of roasting), his blue eyes and strong jaw. But he still could be her best friend, nothing had to change. Did it?   
  
She hated the uncertainty. She really didn’t want anything to change but at the same time had a nagging doubt that it wouldn’t, and she would be the best friend while someone else claimed the spot as girlfriend.  
  
“Almost there,” her father called out from the front seat, and both Peeta and Prim startled awake. Katniss repositioned her eyes toward the road but felt inexplicable relief that Prim was no longer shoved tightly up against Peeta. She had always had a very open crush on him.  
  
“Did you have a good sleep, guys?”   
  
“Yep,” a duet chorused back.   
  
“How about you, Kitty?”  
  
“Uh, fine,” she said, her voice sounded unusually strained to her.  
  
“How much further?” Peeta asked.  
  
“Maybe two or three miles,” her father replied. “We stopped at the checkpoint awhile ago. We’ll get settled at the campground and then go to the rim. How does that sound?”  
  
All three backseat dwellers cheered. The Grand Canyon was one of the stops they had been looking forward to for a long time.  
  
“Tomorrow, we’ll go on the mule ride,” Blake said.  
  
“Daddy, why can’t I go?” Primmie asked.  
  
“Sweetie, remember? You have to be ten to make the trip, but you and Mommy are going to have fun things to do to.”  
  
“But I want to go with Peeta and Katniss,” her voice took on the desperate whine of a seven-year-old.  
  
“You can’t go, Prim, and that’s final,” Katniss said, her tone angrier than she intended, which caused her father to look over his shoulder with raised eyebrows. “Sorry, Prim,” she said contritely as she noticed the large tears forming in her eyes. “I just mean that tomorrow we’ll be doing something, and you get to do something too.” She reached to hug her.  
  
Minutes later, they pulled into the campground. There was no pool, but there were plenty of hiking trails and it was close to the rim. Peeta and Katniss made quick work setting up their tent, while Blake set up the other tent. Jen and Prim began working on the fire so they could eat a quick meal before heading to the visitor center.  
  
All the while they worked, Katniss stole quick looks at Peeta. She had to know. After the tent was up and the sleeping bags were inside, she asked him if he would like to go on a short hike. He smiled and nodded quickly. “Daddy? Peeta and I are going to go for a quick hike.”  
  
“Okay,” he said, as he bent to help with the fire. “Don’t go too far, stay where you can hear noise from the campground.”  
  
“Okay,” she and Peeta chorused together, and they laughed.  
  
They walked for several minutes in comfortable silence, until they came to a small overlook. Below was a babbling brook and they peered into the ravine. Peeta snapped pictures, one after the other.  
  
“Peeta?”  
  
“Huh?” He focused on a red bird perched on a slim branch.   
  
“Peeta,” she tried again, but he was too focused on the scenery. Maybe this was a bad idea. Maybe it was better to let things play out on their own. She searched for something of interest.  
  
After several moments, “Sorry, Katniss. What’s up?”  
  
“Uh, what?” She was surprised and that tended to render her incoherent.  
  
“You had something on your mind, and I was distracted. What’s up?”  
  
“Oh that. Nothing. Uh nothing. Just … ,” she breathed in quick and exhaled as quickly. “Just … do you like me?”  
  
“What?” Peeta was baffled. Of course, he liked her. Maybe more than he should but still, he always thought that was abundantly clear.  
  
“No, I mean,” she saw his confusion, “do you like me, like, like me, you know? Like a boy likes a girl kind of like. You know?” She finished lamely, and knew her cheeks were red, and now she wanted to run all the way back home to avoid his answer. What if he laughed at her? What if … but he wasn’t answering at all, and suddenly that seemed worse than laughing.  
  
She turned quickly, and he caught her arm. “I … uh … Katniss, I’ve always liked you like … like a boy likes a girl. Ever since I was five.” He winced when the words came out of his mouth and he waited for her to run.  
  
“Oh.” It wasn’t much of an answer. “I know, I guess. Ummm … I wasn’t sure. Uh … does the necklace mean something?”  
  
“Oh … well … uh … it doesn’t have too,” his eyebrows shot up as a look flashed across her face which he couldn’t quite read but didn’t look good at all. “Unless, that is, you want it to. Do you?”  
  
“Do you?” Katniss countered.  
  
Peeta breathed out. “I know were young and everything, Katniss, but will you … ,” he turned back toward the brook, wanting not to look to her in the event she answered to the negative. “Will you be my girlfriend?” His palms were sweating, and he really had no intentions of asking her anything of the sort … maybe even for years, but he knew how Darius, and that new kid, Gale, looked at her. Well, it was now or never.  
  
Seconds ticked by and it could just have well been hours. Finally, “Yes, I will,” Katniss said, her answer seemed to surprise even her because she giggled a bit.  
  
“You will? I mean, great. Thanks. I mean. Wow! Katniss Everdeen is my girlfriend.” His smile couldn’t have stretched any wider.  
  
“Do you … um … want to kiss me?” Once the words exited her mouth, she immediately slammed her palm over it. Mortified, she stood with wide eyes and wished she could swallow them back.  
  
“I uh …,” his smile had disappeared, and his look would have been almost comical if she weren't so embarrassed. “Yes!” Before she could react, he reached up and pulled her hand down and brushed his lips against hers. It wasn’t an epic kiss full of longing. It wasn’t one that would capture a reader’s attention, but it was one that both Katniss and Peeta would remember for always. Her first kiss. His first kiss. Their first kiss. Epic in its own way.  
  
Peeta staggered slightly, as if a little drunk. His grin goofy. “That was … wow!”  
  
She agreed and nodded and surprised herself by leaning toward him.  
  
“Katniss? Peeta?” Her father’s voice drifted to them from the campsite and they sprung apart.  
  
“We better get back,” Katniss said, looking in the direction of her father’s voice.  
  
“Yeah,” he said, as he tried to get his thundering heart under control.  
  
“We should maybe keep this a secret for awhile.” He nodded, and reached for her hand. The Everdeens were used to seeing them hold hands. But it was different this time. This time she twined her fingers through his and the bond seemed closer than ever.  
  
They would keep their secret relationship status for some time. Oh sure, some people suspected a subtle change, but no one really asked. By the time, someone did, the relationship was already very well rooted.  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hunger Games characters belong to Suzanne Collins. Thanks for reading!


	23. Trouble in Paradise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Had to add at least one chapter this summer! Happy reading! As always, the Hunger Games characters are the property of Suzanne Collins!

After the Grand Canyon, the trip flew by. They took in the Four Corners and traveled northward into Utah to see Arches National Park. They swung down into southern Colorado and visited the ancient cliff dwellings. They visited Carlsbad Canyons and White Sands National Monument as they traveled through New Mexico. Peeta and Katniss coaxed and cajoled to see every roadside attraction along the way.  
  
Each day held a new adventure, and everyone was excited but nearing the point of exhaustion. It was with this in mind, that Blake decided their next stop would be a comfortable hotel in Fort Worth. At most, they had three days left of this once-in-a-lifetime vacation, and he decided that the family should spend the remaining days ensconced in hotels, rather than sleeping on air mattresses.  
  
“Will it have a pool?” Katniss questioned, even though most of the venues had pools.   
  
“Yes, Kit,” her father replied evenly as he kept his eye on the road.   
  
“Heated pool?” Katniss challenged.  
  
“I’m sure it’s heated but even if it’s not, it’s a hundred degrees in the shade today. The water will feel great no matter what.” He checked the rear view mirror to gauge her mood. Ever since the Grand Canyon, Katniss had resolutely sat in the middle between Peeta and Prim, effectively giving up the window seat. Now, she sat sullenly in the middle, with a grand scowl gracing her face.  
  
Even as a baby, Katniss was a frowner. At eighteen months, she would lower her chin, furrow her brow, and frown in disgust when something did not fall her way.   
  
But today, Blake was baffled as to her current mood. Everything had been going great until just before they got in the vehicle. Breakfast was a group effort with everyone chipping in. Peeta mixed up pancakes. Katniss and Prim set the picnic table. He had fried the bacon, and Jen had finished drying some clothes she had washed the night before.  
  
Everyone seemed to enjoy the meal. Afterward, Peeta and Katniss went for a short hike like they did most mornings. When they returned, Peeta was walking with his head down and Katniss led the way, her eyes sparking rage. Obviously, they had a disagreement, but that had been several hours ago. Still, they sat quietly, not engaging one another at all. Peeta mainly stared out the window while Katniss stared straight ahead.  
  
Blake eased the car into the exit. As he rounded the curve, he could make out the huge Holiday Inn sign a few blocks ahead. “There we go! We’ll try the Holiday Inn first.”  
  
A few minutes later, Blake exited the hotel lobby with keys in hand. “We’re on the fourth floor. We’ll park around back and take the elevator up. Everyone is in charge of your own bags!”   
  
“Yay,” Primmie squealed. “I’ve never stayed on the fourth floor.   
  
Blake backed into a parking spot, and Peeta hopped out, and quickly opened up the back. He reached inside and pulled Katniss’ green backpack, and his orange one from the mix and hitched them over his shoulder.  
  
“I’ve got mine,” Katniss said flatly as she pulled the backpack from him.  
  
“I can take it,” Peeta said softly.  
  
“I said I can handle it,” and she turned on her heel and headed for the door. Blake and Jen exchanged a look.  
  
“You can carry mine, Peetie,” Prim said sweetly as she handed him her pink bag adorned with Barbie.   
  
“Sure,” Peeta said, a small half-hearted smile on his face. “Be glad to.”   
  
The rest of the family headed inside only to discover that Katniss was not waiting outside the elevator.  
  
“Must have gone up the stairs,” Blake said, frowning.   
  
“I’ll go up after her. You take the bags,” Jen said.  
  
“We can all take the stairs,” Blake suggested.  
  
But Jen merely shook her head. “What’s our room number?”   
  
“Uh … 422.”  
  
“Okay, we will see you all in a bit.” Jen started up the stairs. As she ascended, she thought she could make out muffled sniffling.  
  
She rounded the corner and saw her oldest daughter sitting on the landing for the third floor, head in hands. She rushed forward. “Katniss? What’s the matter?”  
  
“N-n-nothing,” Katniss blurted, as she scrubbed the heel of her hand across her nose.   
  
“Baby,” Jen sat down on the stair beside her and wrapped her in a hug. “What’s the matter? You can tell me.”  
  
But instead of talking, Katniss buried her face in her mother’s shoulder and cried. Jen was at a loss. Ever since Prim was born, Katniss rarely cried. In fact, her mother could count on one hand the number of times she had witnessed her cry. She smoothed her hand over Katniss’s head.  
  
Finally, after a few minutes, Jen pushed her back slightly and raised her eyebrows.  
  
“Mom, it’s horrible,” Katniss hiccuped quietly. “It’s, it’s … over.”  
  
“What’s over?”   
  
“Peeta and me,” Katniss said gravely. “Our … our friendship?”  
  
“What? What happened?”  
  
“This … morning. Peeta said ….  He … uh …. It doesn’t matter. It’s just over. Okay?”  
  
Jen frowned and shook her head slightly. Katniss never exhibited such dramatics and she worried that teenage hormones were already kicking in. What happened to her baby girl? “Katniss, I’m sure that your … friendship isn’t over.”  
  
“But it is … .”  
  
“What happened?”  
  
“It doesn’t matter … it just is,” Katniss stated emphatically.  
  
“Hmmm,” her mother said in her best non-committal way. “If it’s any consolation, Katniss, Peeta looks as miserable as you.” Katniss raised her red-rimmed eyes toward her mother. “I’m sure you two will work things out.”  
  
“We won’t,” Katniss said with finality. “We can’t. I just wish this dumb trip was over!”  
  
“Katniss, we are all over-tired. I’m sure after a refreshing swim, a good meal and a decent night’s sleep, you will feel differently.” She stood up and held out her hand.  
  
“I don’t want to go to the room yet.” Katniss shook her head.  
  
Her mother sighed. “I’m not leaving you in this stairwell alone.”   
  
Katniss shrugged her shoulders mightily and rose to her feet. “Go in ahead of me, and let me know where Peeta is then.”  
  
The pair walked up the remaining stairs, and as Jen pulled open the door, Prim’s excited voice greeted them. “ … And a slide, Daddy.”  
  
“That’s right, Baby Girl, a slide. Coming Peeta?”  
  
Peeta’s voice was muffled and all they could catch was, “… Wait for Katniss.”  
  
By this time, however, Blake had already caught sight of Jen and Katniss standing at the end of the hall. Jen shook her head quickly and ducked back into the stairwell with her oldest daughter. Moments later they heard the trio pass on the way to the elevator. Jen sighed wondering how the remaining few days of the trip would pass if Katniss and Peeta did not make up.  
  
Once in the room, Jen coaxed Katniss into her swimsuit and headed to the pool, promising her she would not have to speak to Peeta if she did not want. Unfortunately, the pool was nearly empty as it was still early afternoon, and Jen immediately spotted her husband’s dark hair and tanned body with two fair skinned blonds. The vacation had been good to him. Blake looked relaxed, and Jen took a moment to appreciate his toned physique.   
  
Katniss rushed to the far end of the pool and jumped in, splashing water in all directions. Peeta looked up in surprise, and then turned quickly toward Jen. He noted her expression, and his shoulders fell. But he turned to watch Katniss anyway.  
  
Blake made his way to Jen. “What happened?” His face was anxious as he peered between his lovely daughter at one end and a distraught Peeta at the other end.  
  
“If I didn’t know better, I would say a lover’s quarrel.”  
  
“Lovers?” Blake blurted, his voice an octave higher than normal.  
  
“Ssshhh,” Jen admonished. “Not ‘lovers lovers’. Lovers in the rated G sixth grade version.” Her words did little to ease the butterflies fluttering in his stomach. He liked Peeta. No, he loved Peeta, but she was too young to be someone’s “lover”. Wasn’t she?  
  
Together they watched Peeta traverse the pool toward where Katniss clung to the edge, her head on her crossed arms. In the water, Peeta moved far more quietly than on land.  
  
“Katniss?” She jumped and whirled on him in confusion and anger.   
  
“Go away!” Katniss shouted, and returned to her original position.  
  
“I … I will,” Peeta’s shoulders slumped in resignation. “I just wanted to say I’m sorry, and I think you misunderstood me this morning.” Katniss closed her eyes and replayed the morning’s debacle. Surely she had not misunderstood.  
  
The conversation had started out innocently enough with talk of the trip, and getting back home. Katniss was talking about how jealous their friends would be when they found out about the extended trip, and Peeta had agreed. He was talking excitedly about all of the photos he took and how he couldn’t wait to sketch them.  
  
“I can’t wait to show Delly the ones of … .” But he didn’t get a chance to finish as Katniss cut in.  
  
“Delly? Cartwright? Why her?” Katniss asked in a clipped fashion.  
  
Peeta was so focussed on the rather steep trail that he missed the tone of her voice. “Well she’s always been one of my best … .”  
  
“Friends?” Katniss cut in again, her voice angry. “Really, Peeta? She’s your best friend. What am I then?”  
  
Peeta turned quickly and managed to slide several feet down the trail before catching himself on a branch. “What? I … what? Katniss you’re my … .”  
  
“Don’t say girlfriend, Peeta Mellark. Don’t say it!”  
  
Katniss who always had an affinity to hiking sprinted down the path and managed to get to level ground before him. Peeta panted after her trying to reason with her. He tried the argument that you could have more than one best friend but that fell on deaf ears, and by the time they reached camp, Katniss had stopped responding altogether. The ride that followed was near hell as she steadfastly ignored him.  
  
Now in the pool, he tried again. “Katniss, there are all kinds of friends. But you are number one. You have been ever since kindergarten, and I hope you understand when I say that someone is one of my best friends, it doesn’t mean they are on the same level as you or even close to it. It just means that they are one of my good friends. Dell is like a sister to me, but you are in a whole different category and no one has invented a word for what you are to me, and I hope you understand.”  
  
Peeta turned to swim away.  
  
“Wait!” Peeta turned slightly, and she read the slightest bit of hope in his eyes. “So Delly is like a sister to you?” Peeta nodded. “You don’t like her like you like me?” He shook his head no emphatically. “Do you like any girl the same as you like me?” Katniss wasn’t sure why she felt so vulnerable.  
  
“No way! Katniss, you are one of a kind. I’ll never like anyone like I like you!” Truer words were never spoken, and while Peeta was certain he loved her, he knew instinctively that she was not ready for that level of emotion.   
  
“Well, okay then. I guess it’s alright.”   
  
Peeta’s face split into a relieved grin. “Come on, let’s go down the slide!” He climbed out of the pool quickly and reached for her hand. Without another thought, Katniss took his hand and he pulled her up. Impulsively, he hugged her quickly and she smiled at him.  
  
Blake and Jen watching from a distance had no idea what transpired but both were relieved the day’s disagreement seemed to be over.  
  
Blake narrowed his eyes a bit and studied the pair. “I think I’m going to need to have a talk with that boy.”  
  
Jen laughed, “That ‘boy’ is like a son to you and has been since the day you two met. That ‘boy’ is never going to hurt our girl. Of that, you can be certain. He looks at her like she’s the best prize in the world, and I don’t think that’s going to change. So relax Dad, I’ll let you know when to worry.” She playfully pushed him into the water.  
  
He came up sputtering, with a huge grin on his face, just as Katniss and Peeta exited the slide creating a giant splash that showered even Jen standing several feet away.  
  
It was a moment that mere months later, Jen wished could have been forever frozen in time as life would change forever, and the "that boy" would effectively become the man of the family.  
  



	24. Back to School

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hunger Games characters belong to Suzanne Collins. 
> 
> In the coming weeks, I will be inserting the chapters from "The Parents" into the appropriate spots within both "Middle School" and "Kindergarten."
> 
> Thanks for reading and your comments are appreciated.

The vacation ended and summer waned. Football practice started, but Peeta’s leg had not yet healed enough to allow him to play. Without Peeta, Katniss’s interest in football diminished as well.  
  
School was right around the corner, and Peeta excitedly tore open the envelope containing his schedule. He scanned it quickly. “Okay, I got Mr. Clark for homeroom.”  
  
“Me too!” Katniss said, reaching out and pulling him into a quick hug. Peeta grinned, as his arms wrapped around her.   
  
“This year is going to be perfect!” And it would be, right up until it wasn’t.  
  


* * *

  
“Peeta, more eggs?” Jen held the pan of scrambled eggs. Peeta nodded vigorously, his mouth full of ham. Blake chuckled as he watched Jen spoon more eggs on Peeta’s plate.  
  
“How about you, Katniss? More eggs?”  
  
“No thanks, Mom. I’m too excited to eat any more.” She glanced at Peeta’s plate still laden with food. “Obviously, you’re not too excited to eat.” Peeta looked up and grinned, before swallowing.  
  
“Gotta eat,” he managed before forking more eggs into his mouth.  
  
“Why are you so excited, Kit Kat?” Blake asked.  
  
“This year, we get electives, and I’m going to be in choir and gymnastics!”  
  
“Really? That’s great!” He reached over and gave his oldest daughter a quick squeeze. “You too, Peeta?”   
  
Peeta shook his head quickly. “Uh-uh, Katniss is the singer. I’m taking photography, and rocket building instead. I’ll take pictures of all her concerts, though.” He would too, beginning with her Christmas concert and extending all the way through college.  
  
“Next semester, we’ll both be taking science fair though,” Katniss said, as she looked to Peeta for confirmation. “We’re going to do a joint project.”  
  
“What kind of project?” Blake asked, his curiosity piqued.  
  
“We’re going to test different kinds of arrows to see if material effects accuracy,” Katniss said before drinking her remaining juice. “We just have to come up with a catchy title.”  
  
“Very interesting. You two have already been planning.” Blake was pleased.  
  
“Yup,” Peeta interjected. “Katniss came up with the idea a couple weeks ago because I have better luck with fiberglass arrows than plastic ones. We’re going to use Katniss’s new bow, and she will be the shooter. Same distance to the target. Same size target. Keep all the variables the same and see if there’s a difference in accuracy.”  
  
“Wow! I’m impressed. I tell you what, you an use my aluminum and I’ll pick you up some carbon fiber. And … .” Blake jumped out of his chair and headed to the basement. A minute later, he pounded up the stairs. “Here’s some wood ones that I used when I was in high school, and some hickory ones my grandfather used in the 1930s.”  
  
Katniss’s eyes widened. She new the value of her great-grandfather’s arrows — not monetary, but sentimental. “We’ll be real careful with them.”  
  
“I know you will, and if you need any help, let me know," Blake returned to his chair, a thoughtful look on his face. "Just thinking out loud, but how about 'Arrow Dynamics,' for your title."  
  
"Wow! That's a great title!" Both children nodded their heads vigorously. "Thanks!"  
  
“Primmie? Are you ready?”   
  
“Almost,” Prim said, as she tossed her pigtails. “Mommy, will you change out my hair ties to the pink swirly ones?”  
  
Katniss rolled her eyes. Prim had spent the weekend fretting about what clothes she was going to wear, and already she had changed her outfit once and her hair ties twice. “Well hurry then.”  
  
Jen smiled, moving behind Prim and quickly replaced her hair ties with the pink swirly ones that she had conveniently stored on her wrist.  
  
“There you go! Your lunches are on the counter. Thank you, Peeta, for the cheese buns.”  
  
“Cheese buns?” Katniss opened her bag, and inhaled deeply. “Thanks, Peeta.”  
  
“You’re welcome,” he said, blushing slightly and grabbing his own lunch.   
  
Jen hugged each child in turn and offered each a kiss. Blake followed them to the door. He bent to hug Primmie. “You look beautiful today, my little Rose.”   
  
She smiled sweetly. “Thank you, Daddy.”  
  
“Kit Kat, my big girl, when did you grow up?” He pulled lightly on her braid, which she now wore to the side, and drew her in for a hug, kissing the top of her head.  
  
“I’m not all grown up. Not yet, Daddy.” Katniss spoke into his shoulder. “Peety and I still play with my farm animals and the Lincoln Logs. But don’t tell our friends that.” Blake smiled past the lump in his throat.  
  
“And you, my boy,” he held out his hand to Peeta, who grasped it firmly. “On the cusp of manhood.” He pulled the boy to him and gave him a squeeze. “You take care of my lovely angels, won’t you?” It was the same question he had posed since the first time he and Katniss were allowed to walk to school on their own in second grade.  
  
Peeta beamed and answered him the way he had from the first, “Always sir.” At that moment, no one knew how important his youthful pledge would be in just a short few months. Blake patted his back lightly.  
  
The trio left the house and made their way down the street. At the corner, they met up with the Hawthorne children. “Hey Katniss,” Gale, the oldest greeted. He was trailed by his two younger brothers, Rory, who was two years younger than Peeta and Katniss, and Vic, who was Prim’s age. Gale pushed his way between Katniss and Peeta.  
  
“Hi,” Katniss greeted frowning, but continued her conversation with Peeta. “… But the third book will always be my favorite.”  
  
“Mine too. ‘Goblet of Fire’ was long, and kind of dark,” Peeta commented. “I can’t wait for the new movie, though. It looks awesome.”  
  
“Harry Potter is for sissies, Mellark,” Gale said. “Girls read books. Boys play football.”  
  
All summer, Gale had been harassing Peeta, and Katniss had enough. She turned on Gale. “Look Gale, first, his name is Peeta. It’s stupid to call someone by their last name all the time. Second, millions of boys read Harry Potter. Third, smart boys read and play football. Peeta’s not playing this year because his leg is still healing. Fourth, Peeta and I have read more than seven million words in the Accelerated Reader program and we’ve gotten a ton of trophies for it. So there.”  
  
Gale blinked in surprise. Since his family moved to the Seam the year before, he had nursed a crush on Katniss. The only trouble was the fact that she was rarely without baby-face Mellark by her side. Once or twice he caught up with her alone in the park, but it hardly compared to Katniss and Peeta's shared vacation which lasted almost a month. There was something different about her when she returned, and he couldn’t quite put his finger on it.   
  
Her statement of defense concluded, she reached past Gale and entwined her fingers with Peeta. “Come on Prim. Rue’s waiting.” Last year, they had begun deviating from the straight course to school, and walked two blocks out of the way to walk with Rue.  
  
Vic and Rory quietly followed Peeta and Katniss, while Gale remained standing in disbelief as his eyes narrowed at their hand holding.  
  
As the fivesome neared Rue’s house, Prim sprinted ahead and gathered her friend in a hug as if they had not just seen each other the day before. “I love your hair!” Prim gushed. Rue’s mother had gathered her curls into a messy bun. Rue smiled happily, revealing a small dimple in her cheek.   
  
“Your hair is pretty too.” Prim grinned and the pair set off with Vic and Rory in tow, giggling and laughing.  
  
“I’m glad she’s got a friend,” Katniss commented, as they gave the younger group some space.   
  
“Looks like more than one friend,” Peeta said, as he observed Vic and Rory joining in the conversation.  
  
“Maybe,” Katniss conceded.   
  
“Katniss,” Peeta hesitated before continuing. “Back there, you know what happened? With Gale?” She nodded. “You don’t have to step in, you know. I can take care of myself.”  
  
She stopped, pulling him alongside her. “Peeta, I know you can take care of yourself. But you would have done it for me too. That’s what we do, Peeta. Ever since we were little. We take care of each other.”  
  
Peeta smiled, and would have leaned in for a kiss had it not been for the prying eyes of Prim and Rue, who had turned to wait for them. “We do,” he confirmed, and then called out to the others, “Come on now, we have to get going so we’re not late.”  
  
“Don’t be so bossy, Peeta,” Prim called out, but laughter followed and everyone joined in. Katniss rolled her eyes at her precocious little sister.  
  
Minutes later, they arrived at the elementary school and walked the children to their classrooms, except Rory, who deemed himself too old for such things.  
  
They continued on to the middle school. “It’s going to be a great year,” Peeta exclaimed as Jo hailed them from the doorway. “I can feel it.”   
  
… And it was a great year, until it wasn’t.


	25. Halloween Revisited

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! As always comments are welcome!

“What are you going to be for Halloween?” Jo asked as she sat down next to Peeta at the commons table.   
  
“Uh, not sure yet.” Ever since Kindergarten, Halloween had been a special day for Peeta. His costumes were always intricately hand-made by Jen, and he always won top honors along with Katniss for their grade level. But middle school was decidedly different. Instead of an afternoon party, everyone arrived in their costumes and stayed in them the entire day.   
  
Last year, he and Katniss had dressed as sled dog racers, but the heavy clothing had almost caused heat stroke. Well, not quite because his teacher, Mr. Brown, intervened when he noticed Peeta’s flushed face and matted hair. Still, he had pulled on the fake fur coat for the parade of costumes, and managed another first place victory.  
  
But it was getting harder and harder to top. Kindergarten seemed a breeze for costume choices because it was a natural for Peeta to be Batman to Katniss’s “Katwoman.” The next year, Peeta was the Beast to Katniss’s Belle, and they brought the house down so to speak when they entered the large gymnasium.  
  
For second grade, they both dawned Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle costumes, but it wasn’t quite so powerful because they were in different classrooms. In third grade, Peeta wanted to be Woody and Jen wanted Katniss to be Jessie, but she lobbied hard for Buzz Lightyear, and well, the results were stunning.  
  
The next year, they deviated from the Disney theme and chose to dress as astronauts. Blake got involved that year and managed to fashion the headpiece to resemble a real astronaut’s helmet complete with visor.   
  
So, this year was going to be a tough one, made all the tougher because Katniss just did not seem interested. He had broached the subject with her a few times, and both times she changed the subject.  Maybe the era of coordinated costumes was drawing to a close. It made Peeta uneasy just to think about it.  
  
“I’m going to be a sexy cop!” Jo exclaimed, before reaching over and stealing a chip from Peeta, who looked doubtful. “I am, you just see!” Jo tossed her shoulder length hair defiantly. Darius slid a bit closer.  
  
“You’ll make a great sexy cop. I’m going as a policeman too.” Darius beamed and Jo rolled her eyes.   
  
Katniss arrived, frowning slightly at Jo’s close proximity to Peeta, which made Jo smile. She loved to harass Katniss, and the quickest way was through Peeta, who everyone knew only had eyes for Katniss. Still, she shifted a bit closer before Katniss turned her full attention on Peeta. “What are you guys talking about?”  
  
“First, not a guy,” Jo said emphatically causing Katniss to roll her eyes. “Second, we are discussing Halloween, and what everyone is wearing. I’m going to be a sexy cop.”  
  
“Don’t you mean, ‘slutty cop’?” Storm Cato asked as he moved toward a table at the far end, with Dallas Marvel right behind him. “Just like your mom and slutty sister?” Dallas released a loud guffaw, as Peeta leapt to his feet. Instinctively, Dallas took a step back but Storm held his position. Jo, meanwhile, released a shaky gasp.  
  
“Apologize,” Peeta gritted out. “Now.”  
  
“Or what? Your girlfriend is going to sucker punch me?” While Peeta was still a few inches shorter, he was already developing a strong torso from hauling bags of flour around at the bakery. He tipped his head slightly to the side and regarded Storm with a slight smile.  
  
“See, there’s where you’re wrong. I wouldn’t let Katniss punch you because you’d likely never recover emotionally.” Katniss couldn’t help the small chuckle, which momentarily distracted Storm, who narrowed his eyes in her direction. “Now, as I see it, you have two choices. One, apologize to Jo and never say such a rude thing again. Or two, don’t apologize and see how many fake teeth you need when we’re done.”  
  
Storm refocused on Peeta. Last year, on the football field, he had proven his speed and toughness. More than once, they had taken swings at each other but pads and helmets stood in their way of really getting hurt. He really wanted to punch the smirk off Peeta’s face, but he wasn’t at all sure he would win. Peeta had two older brothers who, according to rumor, had taught him to fight. In reality, they had taught him to defend when necessary. But Peeta also had a quick mind, which meant that he could take the offensive as well.  
  
“It was just a joke,” Storm defended.   
  
“How would you like it if I made a joke about you?” Storm looked at Peeta defiantly.  
  
“There is no joke you can make about me. I’m perfect. I’m an athlete. I’m good look … .”  
  
“I’m not making a joke, but someone else might tease you about your reading skills, or that you can’t really do math.” Storm’s eyes widened in alarm as Peeta spoke, begging him to stop. “Everyone has an Achilles heal, Storm. For me, it’s my hair,” he ran a hand smoothly through his mop of curls. “If you don’t want someone making fun of you, than keep your thoughts to yourself. Now, I’m sorry for bringing up the reading and math stuff, and I don’t want to fight you but I will if you don’t apologize.” Storm was a typical bully, who was weak and would back down if confronted.  
  
“Sorry, Jo,” Storm mumbled, while Dallas gaped at his friend’s apology. “You’ll probably make a great cop.” He pushed past Peeta without waiting for an acknowledgement of his words, Dallas hurrying in his wake.  
  
“Thanks, Peeta,” Jo said, her eyes brimming with unshed tears. Jo always acted tougher than she was. “Besides, she’s my step-sister,” she said referring to the girl who, a few months before identified three possibilities as father to her baby. “She is a slut.”   
  
Katniss released an exasperated sigh, “Jo, don’t justify what he said. Storm is a jerk, and you can be whatever you want to be … just so long as you don’t get kicked out of school.” Jo grinned at the always practical Katniss.   
  
For about a day in September, Jo thought Storm was cute, but his humor made him far less attractive. Though, she wouldn’t admit it in present company, she thought Peeta was the handsomest boy in sixth grade. For the next few years, Jo nursed a crush for Peeta, but once she realized that Peeta was never likely to glance at her “in that way.” She moved on.  
  
“Thanks, brainless,” Jo said, but not in an unkind way, making Katniss roll her eyes. “I will take your words into consideration while putting the final touches on my costume. We better get going if we’re going to have any recess at all.” As they grew older, time was cut from recess to make room for other things. Now, they had a measly fourteen minutes of outdoor play, if they managed to exit the commons area quick enough.  
  
“Where were you?” Peeta asked as they made their way to the playground. They had exited the classroom together, and Peeta had grabbed their shared lunch, expecting her to be right behind him. But when he arrived and turned to inquire her milk choice, she was nowhere to be seen.  
  
“Gale needed help with something,” she said, and Peeta shot her a quick glance. Ever since the first day of school, it seemed like Gale Hawthorne’s name came up in conversation more often than not. It didn’t help that Peeta was working after school everyday and every other Saturday, which meant that Katniss had to find other interests to occupy her time.   
  
One of those interests seemed to be Gale, who decided he wanted archery lessons and had even managed to horn in on their science fair project. It also didn’t help that Gale had a knack for snares which Katniss was interested in.   
  
“Oh,” Peeta replied, suddenly at a loss for words.   
  
Katniss glanced quickly at Peeta, knowing that he was feeling a bit out of sorts. “What?” He shook his head and pointed in the direction of Jo, Darius and Delly. They were an odd group of friends, but for seven years, they had made it work. Katniss rolled her eyes at his reaction. “He’s just a friend, Peeta.”  
  
As they approached the group, they could hear Delly and Jo in a flat out argument. “You’re not allowed to be sexy, Jo, you’re eleven.”  
  
“I can be sexy if I want to, and there’s nothing slutty about it,” Jo argued, “Go ahead and be Alice in Wonderland, Del. I’m just saying you could spice it up and be a real Alice in Wonderland, if you know what I mean.”  
  
“Ugh!” Delly screwed up her face. “Don’t be gross, Jo.”   
  
Jo released a cackling laugh. “So, what are you two going to be this year?” She turned expectantly to Peeta and Katniss. “Blondie won’t tell me.”  
  
Katniss glanced at Peeta, who was still a little hurt by her absence. “Ummm. Well, I might be Maid Marian, and Peeta could be Little John. You know, from Robin Hood.”  
  
Peeta smiled. It was the first time that Katniss had discussed potential costumes with him, and he was happy, except, “Wait, how about Robin Hood? I could be Robin Hood, if you’re going to be Maid Marian. I would even wear the green tights and … .”  
  
“Uh, Gale is going to be Robin Hood.”  
  
Peeta’s face blanched as he considered her words. Gale was going to be Robin Hood to Katniss’s Maid Marian, and he was going to be … one of the Merry Men… ? His world began to tilt, and he barely heard Delly’s tiny gasp. He had to say something … quickly … but he … felt like crying, instead. “Okay, then, I guess I’ll just do the Batman thing again.”   
  
Peeta turned quickly and walked away, leaving an exasperated Katniss behind.  
  
“Way to go, Brainless.” Jo said cuttingly. She liked Peeta better than Katniss because he was always kind to her.  
  
“What?” Katniss said, her eyes narrowing slightly. “It’s just a dumb old costume.”  
  
“But you and Peeta always dress alike,” Delly interjected. “I mean … it’s just always been, you know, like a tradition.”  
  
“Brainless, if we gotta tell you what, you’re more brainless than even I thought,” Jo said shaking her head.  
  
Peeta was already back in the classroom, his nose buried in a book. Katniss tried to make conversation, but he merely grunted back. When science rolled around, they paired with Jo, but Peeta made minimal effort with their experiment.   
  
After school, Peeta hurried to his locker. “Peeta wait,” Katniss called.   
  
“What?” Peeta quickly stuffed his backpack full of books.   
  
“Peeta,” she reached to still his hands. “It’s only a silly costume.”  
  
“Look, I get it. You are going to be Maid Marian and Gale will be Robin Hood, and that’s fine. But I won’t be Little John.”  
  
“Why not?”  
  
“Seriously? What if I decided to be Prince Charming and asked Delly to be Snow White, and told you that you would be one of the dwarfs.”   
  
Katniss wrinkled her nose. “That’s not the same. Little John was second in command, and … .”  
  
“I don’t care. I don’t want to be Little John. Gale’s not even in our grade. No one will see you guys together and make the connection. …”  
  
“There’s the middle school dance on Friday.”  
  
“Wait. You’re going to the dance with Gale?” When the dance was announced a few weeks prior, Peeta and Katniss had discussed going as a couple, but decided that her parents weren’t quite ready for the big reveal yet. Besides, Peeta had to work until almost 7 that night, so it wouldn’t work out well. They had planned an evening of movie watching, instead.  
  
“No,” Katniss said emphatically. I was just thinking maybe we could go. It might be fun, and Gale is going but we aren’t going together.” Even now, as the words spilled from her mouth, she realized how they sounded. “Peeta, he’s just a friend, and I really thought you would like Little John, and … .”  
  
“Look, it’s fine, Katniss. I’ll just be Batman or something this year, and you can be Maid Marian. I’ve got to get to work.”  
  
“Aren’t you going to walk home with me?”  
  
“No, I’ve got to get to work. You’ve got the Hawthornes anyway.” Now it was Katniss’s turn to feel like crying.  
  
The next few days, Peeta kept mostly to himself. He made some excuse to avoid their morning routine, and work always beckoned him immediately after school. He still brought her lunch, but in a separate bag. Most days, he sat on the opposite side of the table, and barely spoke.   
  
Katniss arrived home from school one day to find her mother working on a Batman costume. “What’s this?” Her tone was demanding.  
  
“Peeta’s costume. I stopped in on Saturday, and asked him what he was planning on being. I finished your Maid Marian costume this morning. Gale will need to try on his costume for final fittings.”  
  
“So, he’s really going as Batman?” Katniss asked incredulously.   
  
“Yes, dear.” Jen held the costume out , and shook it slightly. Peeta wouldn’t need the same padding he did six years before.  
  
“But he could be Little John,” Katniss said with a touch of annoyance.   
  
“Sweetie, why would he want to be Little John, when clearly Robin Hood and Maid Marian are the obvious pair. Little John would be the third wheel so to speak.”   
  
Her mother continued on without noticing the look of shock on Katniss’s face. Maybe she really was brainless. She and Peeta were the “obvious pair.” She had been excited by Gale’s suggestion because Maid Marian carried a bow and arrow, and could climb trees and her costume would be awesome.  
  
“… So, I think that Peeta made a good choice.”   
  
“I gotta go,” Katniss said, as she rushed from the room and headed to the tree house that she and Peeta had built with her father’s help. More often than not, Gale had been joining her there but today, she was alone, and happy for it. She needed to sort all of this out.  
  
Jen was not surprised when her daughter left abruptly. She and Blake had discussed at length the fact that Peeta had stopped coming for breakfast, and had not appeared on Sunday as he usually did. Long ago, they had reconciled that, while they felt that Peeta was like a son, it was clear that Katniss did not harbor “brotherly” feelings for him.   
  
While she and Blake were friendly with Mason and Julia Hawthorne, she did not quite trust their oldest son, Gale, who clearly had eyes for Katniss. The young boy had something of a swagger, and was too aware of his dark good looks for Jen’s taste. Peeta, on the other hand, had grown from adorable to handsome, and was pleasantly nonplussed by his looks. For her part, Katniss seemed not to notice the features of either young man, instead focusing on her friendship with each. But her parents knew that some day, looks might be a factor.  
  
Katniss sat in the treehouse for an hour before Gale came by. When he called, though, she refused to answer and waited for him to leave. She waited another hour, hoping that Peeta might stop by, but he didn’t and she eventually returned to the house for a good, long chat with her mom.  
  
Halloween dawned cloudy and cool. Prim chattered happily about her Cinderella costume, Katniss, meanwhile, stirred her cereal slowly, perking at every tiny noise, only to slump further when she realized that yet another morning would pass without Peeta’s presence.  
  
“Are you going to wear your costume or change when you get there?” Jen questioned, but Katniss was too deep in thought to notice. “Katniss?”   
  
“Hmm?” Katniss startled.  
  
“I asked if you were planning to wear your costume to school or change once you’re there.”  
  
“I’ll change when I get there. Ummm, Mom, could you walk Primmie to school today?”  
  
“Uh, sure.”  
  
“Thanks Mom,” Katniss said, as she bolted from her chair, and kissed her mother lightly on the cheek. “See you after school.” She grabbed her backpack and costume, and headed out the door.  
  
Peeta’s house was just a few blocks away, but she was pretty sure he was at the bakery this morning, picking up the cupcakes that he would serve to his classmates later in the day. The bakery was about a dozen blocks away, so she started off at a jog.  
  
Not quite ten minutes later, she arrived at the large brick building, slightly winded and extremely nervous. She pushed the glass door open and stepped inside quickly.   
  
“Katniss!” John Mellark’s voice boomed across the sitting area. “To what do I owe this pleasure?”  
  
“Uh, is Peeta here?”   
  
John smiled gently at her. “Should be along in a minute. Are you here to help carry the cupcakes?” He nodded in the direction of four large boxes on the counter.  
  
“Uh, sure … .”  
  
“John, I’ll take two loaves of rye and a loaf of wheat, and a half-dozen of those ghost cupcakes,” Mrs. Cartwright said as she indicated the display case off to the side. Peeta’s creations, all of them, and each one perfect  Ghosts, jack-o-lanterns, intricately crafted witches adorned the tops of each cupcake. The regular case included the standard orange and black cupcakes. She stepped closer to admire Peeta’s work.  
  
She missed the sound of the bell and his approaching footsteps. “Katniss,” his voice barely above a whisper, caused her to jump. “What are you doing here?”  
  
“I …um … came to see if you wanted to walk to school with me.”  
  
“Uh, okay,” Peeta’s cheeks flushed in embarrassment. “I would like that,” he added with a soft smile.  
  
“Good.” Peeta was already dressed in his batman costume, save for the mask. “You look good.”  
  
“Thanks. Your mom made it for me.”   
  
“I know.” She was a little confused by his use of the term “your” because he had openly referred to her as “Mom” for years. “Uh, mind if I change?” She indicated the garment bag with her costume.  
  
“No, go ahead,” Peeta nodded toward the kitchen where a small bathroom was located. He offered a small regretful smile.  
  
Five minutes later, Katniss emerged from the tiny bathroom, and blew a tendril of hair from her face. The costume wasn’t quite what she had expected but it was her costume of choice. She walked through the swinging door into the main part of the bakery. John and Peeta were discussing how quickly his cupcakes were selling. She cleared her throat quietly, but the noise drew the attention of both.  
  
Peeta’s mouth gaped open momentarily, before he caught himself enough to speak. “It’s perfect.” His eyes swept over her costume. “You look … great,” his smile broadening into a very Peeta-like grin.  
  
“Thanks,” she smiled softly in return and hurried to the counter to pick up two of the boxes. Peeta took the remaining two, and John rushed forward to get the door.   
  
They walked the first block in silence. “Why did you change your mind?” Peeta asked quietly.   
  
“Peeta, I’m sorry. I was just so excited to have a costume with a bow that I didn’t really think how it would look. Forgive me?”  
  
“Always,” Peeta said with a smile. He would have pulled her in for a hug if not for the large boxes they were both carrying.   
  
They arrived at the school at the same time as Gale Hawthorne, who was resplendent in his dark green tights. “Katniss?” His eyes swept over her costume in confusion. “Catwoman? You know she’s not an ally of Batman, right?” Gale scoffed.  
  
“Catwoman is not. But ‘Katwoman’ with a ‘K’ is, and always has been. She just hasn’t made it into the comic books yet.” Gale was holding the door open, unsure of whether she was serious or not. “After you, Peeta,” Katniss said, indicating the open door.   
  
“Thanks Gale,” Peeta said and chose to ignore the angry look in Gale’s eyes, as he hurried through the door, Katniss close on his heels.  
  
And so it was that Peeta and Katniss recreated their kindergarten costumes, once again winning the overall competition. A few years later, Katniss would have an opportunity to dress as Maid Marian, but this time, Peeta would be her Robin Hood.


End file.
